1. Fecal Egg Counts: A useful tool in parasite management
Eco-Farm Day, Cornwall, ON Feb 25, 2017
Laurie Maus MSc. Hawk Hill Farm, Dunvegan ON

2. Parasites in Livestock
Large financial impact on the livestock industry
Responsible for death, disease and reduced productivity
Results in increased costs for veterinary support and feed
Rescue treatment can result in loss of organic status of the animal

3. Parasite Life Cycle

4. Parasite management
First steps in parasite management is to identify the problem:
Who - groups/individuals are vulnerable
What - parasites are present
Where - environments that are most contaminated
When – are parasites present

5. Modified McMaster Fecal Egg Count
Easy to learn
Quantitative
Cost effective
Should be used in combination with other tools
Producers should work with their veterinarian

6. Use FEC in combination with:
eye mucous membrane colour (FAMACHA)
body condition score
growth rate
diarrhoea/dags
Other symptoms such as bottle jaw, coat/fleece condition, energy level

7. FAMACHA Chart

8. Body Condition Scores

9. Limitations of FEC:
only detects parasites whose eggs are shed in manure eg does not detect bots in horses, lungworms in sheep
false negatives eg " hypobiosis, pre-patent period
false positives eg not all parasites cause disease eg many species of coccidia
inability to tell the difference between eggs of different species ie number of species have very similar eggs

10. Capital equipment for FEC:
McMaster slide
Weigh scale
Microscope
Tea strainers
Hand counter
Timer
Measuring device such as a syringe, graduated cylinder or cup
Estimated set up costs <$400.

11. Capital Equipment

12. McMaster Slide

13. Disposable supplies FEC:
Transfer pipettes or 1 ml syringes
Tongue depressors
Dixie Cups
Flotation solution
Estimated costs per sample 25 cents

14. Sample Collection collect fresh samples and keep cool (not frozen)
store in frig
process within 7 days but ideally within 3-4
be consistent in sampling, sample preparation and sample counting
keep records especially if doing fecal egg reduction tests cs

15. General sample preparation:
Weigh sample (2 or 4 grams)
Mix with flotation solution
Strain into second cup
Stir well and load first chamber
Stir well and load second chamber
Place on microscope and set timer (minimum 2 minutes)
Count both chambers – count nematodes, tapes, coccidia separately
Take total count and multiply by appropriate multiplier

16. What you could see: Nematodes Tapes (not in horses) Coccidia
And a whole lot of stuff that are not eggs

17. Parasite Identification: Ruminants

18. Parasite Eggs: Ruminants

19. When you first look down the scope:

20. Nematodes – Sheep/Goats

21. Tapeworms: Sheep/Goats

22. Trichuris (Whipworm)- Sheep

23. Parasite Identification: Camelids

24. Interpretation of results:
Work with vet until you are comfortable with interpretation
Interpretation dependent on age of animal, reproductive status of the animal, time of year, time on pasture, identity of the parasite, other symptoms
For example I am more conservative with interpretation of counts for lambs, older animals or ewes with multiple lambs

25. Parasite management includes:
pasture management
targeted treatment
maintenance of refugia
stock selection
proper nutrition
proper drenching technique
quarantine new and returning stock
stock management

26. Parasite Management
There are no “magic bullets” for parasite management
No drug, organic supplement or nutraceutical will solve what is effectively a management issue

27. Hands on training: Hawk Hill Farm, Dunvegan ON End of May to September
3-4 hours
Examine 1-2 samples
Class size < 5 students
Includes follow up support