Dosing calves

[Lyonoo]

I wonder if someone on the forum could give me some advice on wether should dose my young calves with Closamectin pour on.
I am due to dose the rest of the herd and the instruction say that the whole heard must be dosed at the same time but they say nothing about the calves ( which are 3 week and 8 weeks )
I would be greatful for any advice
Many thanks

[Jac]

In answer to your query I can only say that I would not generally worm calves at 3 and 8 weeks of age although I believe that Closamectin can be used on all ages provided dosage rate is correct. It is advisable to work with your veterinary surgeon to arrive at a suitable worming programme for your stock.

[Louisa Gidney]

The dosing guide on my Closamectin box starts at 100kg, which seems to imply that cattle under this weight should not normally be dosed. I would certainly not dose a baby calf without incontrovertible evidence of infestation.

[moomin]

I agree with Louise and Jac. A certain amount of wormer will go through the milk anyway. Latest advice is not to worm too often as worms become resistant - bit like antibiotic resistance in humans.

[Louisa Gidney]

Since Closamectin is not authorised for cattle producing milk for human consumption, including dry cows and heifers in the second half of pregnancy, I agree with Di that sucking calves will get sufficient protection from their mothers' milk.

[Duncan MacIntyre]

As others have said dosing for fluke and worms is not as simple as might be thought, every farm has slightly different circumstances, and the different drugs used have different effects on different ages of parasite, especially the fluke treatments. It is important to consult your vet in relation to this, as Di says resistance can develop and can cause havoc.
I am not sure what part of the country you are in but in West of Scotland fluke gets more and more prevalent largely due to the wet and wetter climate. The different treatments for fluke kill different stages of fluke, and your vet will work out a programme which fits best for the efficacy and for the ages of your animals.

Duncan