Ectoparasite control: more tips for livestock farmers

To reduce the mayhem that uncontrolled ectoparasites can create for communal farmers, it’s best to adopt a holistic approach in conjunction with veterinary remedies,

- Shane Brody.

I have, in the past, written about the importance of ectoparasite control Lin livestock farming. Parasites like ticks can cause potentially fatal livestock diseases, such as redwater and heartwater, while lice infestations can result in morbid animals that may spend many hours rubbing against walls or trees in an attempt to relieve relentless the itching.

As farmers, we should be instituting a holistic approach to parasite control. In addition to using dips, this may include programmes like grazing camp rotation.

However, many of our communal farming areas are void of grazing camps, resulting in numerous problems. Not only is it difficult to manage grazing and allow rest periods for grass to recover under these circumstances, but this uncontrolled scenario makes it difficult to control ectoparasite populations.

Essentially, one of the most basic ways to reduce tick populations is to keep recently dipped livestock in a specific camp for a few days, which means these parasites will drop in this area only.

PLANNING IS CRUCIAL

In rural areas without fenced camps, trained herders can keep herds and flocks in specific areas while allowing others to be vacant of livestock.