The risk of liver fluke infection remains high in outwintered sheep. The advice for outwintered flocks that received treatment in November is retreatment in January.

Sheep grazing very wet lands with a history of high liver fluke burdens may require treatment at four to six week intervals while for those with a lower risk, treatment is recommended to take place again in April.

Factory procurement personnel report issues in lambs as well as ewes. It is therefore important to include lambs in your treatment programme.

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Be careful, however, with product selection in lambs close to slaughter as many flukicide-only products have withdrawal periods of 40 days to over 60 days.

The greatest risk at present is from chronic liver fluke and products should be selected that are effective against immature and mature liver fluke.

Following up on the health status of livers from animals being slaughtered will also give a good indication of the presence of liver fluke.

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