Nematodirus warning: The Department of Agriculture, on the back of advice received from the Nematodirus Advisory Group, has released a nematodirus high-risk warning. It predicts the maximum nematodirus larval count at the start of April in the southwest and the remainder of the country by the middle of the month, with lambs possibly showing clinical signs of infection two to three weeks after these peak hatching dates.

The report’s advice in the south and west is to dose lambs at risk from mid to late April. The advice for the remainder of the country is to dose from late April to early/mid-May. The exception to later dosing is on farms located on coastal regions experiencing higher mean temperatures.

The greatest threat is faced by flocks with lambs aged five to six weeks of age and increasing grass intake, as well as on highly stocked farms where there is high pasture contamination. Avoiding grazing ewes and lambs on the same pasture as the year before will help but this is generally not possible on a high percentage of sheep farms.

Treatment with white (benzimidazoles) or yellow (levamisole) drenches are effective against larval and adult stages. It is important to remember, however, that drenches do not provide residual activity, meaning re-treatment may be required where lambs face high pasture contamination or if there is a significant age gap within the group.

The advisory group cautions farmers not to confuse nematodirus with coccidiosis. Both ailments cause diarrhoea in lambs, with characteristic symptoms of coccidiosis being a dark grey or often blood-stained scour.

Lactating hoggets: Reports indicate that yearling hoggets are lambing well this year. It is important to ensure that their nutritional requirements are met with higher pressure on animals to meet the demands of lactation and their own maintenance and growth requirements. While grass growth has improved, it is slow to increase significantly, especially on older pastures. Where this is the case, supplementation will be required to bridge the nutritional gap. Even where grass supplies are relatively good, twin-suckling hoggets will still benefit greatly from concentrate supplementation for the first five to six weeks of lactation.

On good-quality grass, supplement with 0.5kg to 0.8kg in the first few weeks (the rate depends on body condition), falling back to 0.5kg before ceasing feeding. Single suckling hoggets will generally perform satisfactorily on good-quality grass. Where grass is in short supply, supplementing with 0.3kg to 0.6kg (depending on grass supply and condition) for three to four weeks will help performance. It is also advisable to offer lambs access to creep feed at a rate of 0.3kg to 0.5kg per head daily.

Creep feeding: Once lambs become accustomed to eating, there is no difference in performance from feeding a high-energy, cereal-based ration or pellet and specialised cooked or crunch rations. Where lambs are being finished on grass, a crude protein percentage of 13% to 14% is sufficient. Lowering protein as lambs approach finishing and feeding a high-energy diet will promote fat cover.

Where lambs are accustomed to meals, creep feeding can be used to encourage creep grazing forward or to attract lambs into a defined area for feeding in troughs, ensuring that all lambs have access to creep.