Dear Gwyneth,
We did a fairly exhaustive search for alternate anthelminitcs (in the
vernacular) on our own farm. I am sending a copy of an on-farm test to
you separately.
Ecological Agricultural Projects, in Quebec publishes an excellent
little book entitled "The Control of Internal Parasites in Cattle and
Sheep". It's available ($10 Canadian I think) from EAP Macdonald
College 21, 111 Lakeshore Rd. Ste. Anne de Bellevue, Quebec H9X 3V9
email (might not be current) info@eap.mcgill.ca
Another useful book is the "Organic Livestock Handbook" by Anne Macey.
Available from Canadian Organic Growers ($25.95 Can.) COG Box 6408 Sta.
J Ottawa, ON K2A 3Y6
We investigated many different methods. Everything from nicotine and
kerosene to high copper doses (potentially lethal to sheep) buffered
with lime. Those farms with the best results seem to achieve them from
a mixture of grazing sheep and cattle. Sheepdrove Farm, in Berkshire,
England runs 1400 ewes, grazing pastures alternately with cattle and
spot treating only when necessary. Foot rot is a bigger problem for
them because the poor ewes are walking on flint stones all day! Ray
Keating, at the ADDAS Research Centre, in Newcastle Upon Tyne has had
good success with grazing hill flocks alternately with cattle. He has a
mountain of printed material on the subject.
In New Zealand, they are experimenting with breeding for resistance.
This is a complicated process and I cannot speak to it's progress.
On our own farm, we have returned to regular worming of the ewes, late
in pregnancy, and worming of lambs when necessary. Our slaughter
weights had dropped an average ten pounds over four years of trying to
do without late pregnancy worming.
Good luck,
Paddy
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