Welsh farm veterinarian Miranda Timmerman NSch 2022 has published her Nuffield Farming report entitled 'Worming like a winner: A guide to a sustainable UK sheep flock', jointly sponsored by The Worshipful Company of Farmers with Savills and The Royal Welsh Agricultural Society.

Miranda travelled throughout the Netherlands, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Zimbabwe, UK, Norway, Australia and New Zealand.

"Endoparasites have co-evolved with sheep but modern, intensive management techniques have increased their negative impact on productivity," she outlines in her report.

"Anthelmintics have been historically over-used, resulting in our current problems. The situation is concerning because anthelmintic resistance has the potential to stop sheep farming in the UK; however there are management changes that can be made to not only prevent anthelmintic resistance, but even reverse it."

Miranda embarked on her travels with the objective of understanding how sheep farmers could manage parasites without the use of anthelmintics, how these products could be used to prevent and reverse resistance, as well as developing practical steps farmers can take to future-proof their farms and stock.

Miranda makes recommendations for both sheep farmers, vets and industry to address the issue of resistance. These include the use of genetics, understanding and amending grazing practises, use of parasite monitoring technologies, and improved dissemination of relevant information to the sector.

Her full report is now available on the Nuffield Farming website at www.nuffieldscholar.org/reports or can be downloaded directly at https://bit.ly/3r2JENM.  

Miranda will present her findings at the 2023 Nuffield Farming 'Super' Conference, held at Sandy Park near Exeter from 14-16 November. Tickets and additional details can be found on the Nuffield Farming website, and the event is open for all to attend.

Study objectives

1. Managing parasites without the use of anthelmintics.
2. Developing practical steps farmers can take to future-proof their farms and stock.
3. Using anthelmintics to prevent resistance occurring and to reverse the current incidence.

Messages

1. Anthelmintic resistance is a direct threat to the UK sheep industry's future survival.
2. Targeted selective treatment is crucial to slowing resistance.
3. Refugia is a key management strategy to reverse resistance.
4. Cheap tests are available to understand parasite levels.
5. The first step is to understand the farm's anthelmintic resistance status.