SHEEP producers are urged to keep an eye out for weak, pale stock after reports of barber’s pole worm rise across the Central Tablelands.
After weeks of moist, warm weather, worm numbers are skyrocketing. According to Central Tablelands Local Land Services district vet Bruce Watt, the worse may be yet to come. Mr Watt said around three weeks ago, he started to receive reports of sheep deaths, due to barber’s pole.
Some reports had more than 100 sheep killed by the worm on one property. Mr Watt said the affected properties were those that received the large falls of rain, which saturated parts of the state in the last month. “Once this happens, this tells us there are many other properties that are on the edge,” he said. “Conditions are perfect for barber’s pole.”
The worms are blood suckers and can affect all sheep breeds and ages. The female worms have the characteristic ‘barber’s pole’ appearance due to the blood-filled intestinal tract, and are prolific egg layers. “Sheep can look perfectly fine and then suddenly you get them dying,” he said. “It can catch people unawares, especially if they are not used to it.”
Mr Watt said there were a number of ways producers could monitor the prevalence of the worm in their flocks. The “400-yard dash” is a method by which a producer can identify any affected sheep if they drop out of a mob when travelling. He said faecal worm counts also allowed producers to see how many adult worms were laying eggs in their sheep.
Producers can carry out their own egg counts by simply allowing the mob to stand in a yard and then collecting 10 samples to be sent to a laboratory for testing.The dipstick test is another way to check for worms, which identifies any blood in the manure. Producers can purchase these from a local rural store. Mr Watt said sheep affected by the worm would be weak and lethargic, pale around the eyelids and may have a bottled jaw. He said producers needed to carry out an egg count before they begin drenching, and then again 10 to 14 days later to check the drench is having an effect.