An amber warning has been issued to the Welsh sheep industry, alerting farmers to an increased risk of Nematodirus, a contagious infection that affects young lambs and is caused by a worm called Nematodirus battus.
A cold spell and frosty nights followed by warmer weather has increased soil temperatures, triggering a mass hatch of the over-wintered parasites.
“An amber warning means that sheep farmers need to be ready to take action against the infection,” said Lynfa Davies, technical development executive at Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC).
“The disease strikes extremely quickly and can cause a high number of mortalities whilst stunting the growth of survivors. Farmers are encouraged to be prepared and treat lambs that are at risk of infection.”
This story was originally published on a previous version of the Meat Management website and so there may be some missing images and formatting issues.
