EFFECTIVE LICE CONTROL FOR OFF-SHEARS SHEEP

Article courtesy Elanco

MANAGING sheep lice is a complex and costly operation for sheep and wool producers across Australia; costing the sheep industry approximately $71 million each year in treatment and lost wool production.

For this reason, timing of treatment and choice of product are vital for the effective control of lice.

This will help prevent lice spreading throughout your flock and minimise losses associated with sheep lice infestations and increase profitability.

Elanco animal health’s fast-acting, lousicide; Extinosad Pour-On, provides effective control of sheep lice, including SP resistant strains, in sheep off-shears and with long wool.

The low volume, water based formulation has a nil wool withholding period and a short Export Slaughter Interval (ESI) of 21 days, when applied off-shears. 

Elanco Technical Services Representative, Craig Stevenson says Elanco has introduced a number of important changes to the registered label of Extinosad Pour-On in the last two years.

“It provides fast, effective control of lice when applied off-shears,” Mr Stevenson said. 

“Elanco guarantees when Extinosad Pour-On is applied correctly to sheep off-shears, there will be no detectable lice present on sheep six months after treatment.* 

“In the unlikely event that lice are detected in treated sheep within six months of off-shears application, Elanco will provide customers with a suitable replacement product at no cost to re-treat affected sheep,” he said.

Modifications have been made to the Extinosad Pour-On label to ensure it continues to provide robust and consistent lice control in all situations.

This includes a new off-shears dose table that aims to reduce the variation in the dose applied per kilogram of bodyweight between the lightest and the heaviest animal in each live weight band.

“We’re now applying up to 40 percent more active ingredient to heavier sheep,” Mr Stevenson said.

“This makes it easier for farmers to apply Extinosad Pour-On consistently as two bands, from poll to tail, improving coverage and efficacy.”

In order to achieve effective lice control on farm, there are a number of management tips that should be adhered to.

Smart management tips to take on farm:

• Treat all sheep on the property at the same time. Avoid split shearing.
• Muster each paddock thoroughly to ensure all sheep are treated. Conduct a second muster if necessary.
• Check boundary fences to prevent untreated or lice-infested sheep from joining treated mobs.
• Do not mix treated sheep with untreated sheep, infested sheep or those of unknown lice status.
• Ensure sheep are cleanly shorn. Grass seeds, lumpy wool or flystrike can hinder shearing and may impede the spread of Extinosad Pour-On.
• Sheep that require treatment with a long wool lousicide should be re-treated with an off-shears lousicide at the next shearing.
• Do not treat ewes within six weeks of the commencement of lambing, as live lice may infest the lambs of these ewes (off-shears recommendation).
• Do not treat sheep when they are wet or if rain is likely. However, moderate rainfall (20 mm in 20 minutes) following treatment does not adversely affect the effectiveness of Extinosad Pour-On.
• Treat all sheep in accordance with Extinosad Pour-On application guidelines set out on the label.