| 2019-05-14 |    |
Vet Welcomes Logical Worming Strategy
Milk producer Dessie McCrea was one of the first farmers to opt for Tauradoru Pour-on within hours of Norbrook launching this new doramectin based endectocide.
“Acting on the advice of our vet, Keith Sheridan at Parkview Veterinary Clinic in Strabane, we moved to Taurador as a logical step forward in protecting cattle health, their performance and our margins,” Dessie explained. The strategy behind Taurador is simple. Do not blanket treat all young stock going out to grass with a wormer. Instead cattle are let settle at grass for approximately three to four weeks to allow for exposure to worms and the development of natural immunity.
Dessie McCrea, left, with Keith Sheridan, Parkview Veterinary Clinic, Strabane. Adopting a new worming strategy using Taurador Pour-On helps avoid anthelmintic resistance and means young stock only need treated twice at approx three and eleven weeks after turnout to grass.
Only then is the first pour on treatment with Taurador applied. As a doramectin based endectocide it is licensed to treat gastinal roundworms, trointes lungworms, eyeworms, warbles, sucking and biting lice, mange mites and hornfly in cattle.
A second treatment follows about eight weeks later so stock only need rounded up twice at grass. As a pour on Taurador saves time and stress on stock.
Dessie McCrea points out, most farmers have young stock away at out farms and find help hard to get. Only having to treat twice and with a pour on makes sound common sense.
For Keith Sheridan, who has been the local vet in Strabane for over 17 years, this strategic approach to using anthelmintics is totally logical.
“In the media we hear much debate about resistance to antibiotics, but resistance to anthelmintics used to protect farm livestock is another huge issue. There are only a handful of effective anthelmintics available to vets and farmers so we must make the best possible use of them.
“That means avoiding over use and abuse. Simply worming stock as they head for the field in the spring was never favoured by vets and was not only a waste of money, but a huge threat as regards building up resistance to anthelmintics.
“The strategy using this new Norbrook product, Taurador, is to give young stock those first few weeks at grass exposed to infection thus encouraging natural immunity.
Building up immunity in young stock and ensuring we still have anthelmintics that work has a huge potential benefit to farm businesses.
“Keeping parasitic worms at bay has a lifelong impact on animal health, livestock performance and the bottom line in any farm business.
“At Parkview Veterinary Clinic this past 10 years we have seen more problems with mature dairy cows coughing.
Switching to this worming strategy based around the new Taurador doramectin will help avoid this problem.
“Combining natural immunity with cost effective use of the wormer ensures young stock can reach their targets for coming into the dairy herd.
“Underlying problems with worms have a huge impact on every aspect of cow health making stock much more likely to face other problems. Not least respiratory infections, mastitis and lameness.
“Sub clinical levels of worm burdens can also have a lifelong impact on milk yield and milk composition.”
Norbrook has launched Taurador Pour-on in three packs sizes, one litre, 2.5l and 5l with a dosing applicator available..
