A Nuffield Farming report has highlighted the current problems faced by the UK sheep industry due to anthelmintics over usage and has outlined sustainable steps for addressing resistance.
Carried out by Welsh farm veterinarian Miranda Timmerman, the report ‘Worming like a winner: A guide to a sustainable UK sheep flock‘, was jointly sponsored by The Worshipful Company of Farmers with Savills and The Royal Welsh Agricultural Society.
As part of her research, Timmerman travelled throughout the Netherlands, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Zimbabwe, UK, Norway, Australia and New Zealand.
“Endoparasites have co-evolved with sheep but modern, intensive management techniques have increased their negative impact on productivity,” she said.
“Anthelmintics have been historically over-used, resulting in our current problems.
“The situation is concerning because anthelmintic resistance has the potential to stop sheep farming in the UK; however there are management changes that can be made to not only prevent anthelmintic resistance, but even reverse it.”
Sheep parasites
Nuffield said Timmerman embarked on her travels with the objective of understanding how sheep farmers could manage parasites without the use of anthelmintics, how these products could be used to prevent and reverse resistance, as well as developing practical steps farmers can take to future-proof their farms and stock.
In her report, Timmerman makes recommendations for both sheep farmers, vets and industry to address the issue of resistance.
These include the use of genetics, understanding and amending grazing practises, use of parasite monitoring technologies, and improved dissemination of relevant information to the sector.
Her study objectives included:
- Managing parasites without the use of anthelmintics;
- Developing practical steps farmers can take to future-proof their farms and stock;
- Using anthelmintics to prevent resistance occurring and to reverse the current incidence.
The main message of her report was that anthelmintic resistance is a direct threat to the UK sheep industry’s future survival.
Timmerman also outlined targeted selective treatment as a crucial method to slowing resistance and refugia as a key management strategy to reverse resistance.
Timmerman will present her findings at the 2023 Nuffield Farming ‘super’ conference, held at Sandy Park near Exeter from 14-16 November.
