Small Ruminant Parasite Control Course

May 13, 2021 Small Ruminant Parasite Control Course

Cost: $20 per person for residents of Albany, Columbia, Greene, Rensselaer, Schenectady and Washington Counties, NY.

$25 per person for residents of all other NY counties or other states. 

Registration for and completion of this class entitles you to one free use of the testing materials, a $5 value!  

For more information contact Ashley Pierce at arp253@cornell.edu or 518-649-0267. 

Parasites are the most important limiting factor in small ruminant flocks. Join the CAAHP team and Ashley Pierce to learn how to monitor, treat, and prevent parasites in your flock, herd, or flerd!  This meeting will take place on May 13, 2021, from 1:00-2:30 PM EDT.

This online course will discuss the lifecycle and biology of parasites affecting small ruminants, how to use the 5-point check, FAMACHA, and fecal testing to monitor your flock health and provide best practice procedures for treating your animals with de-wormers to avoid parasite resistance. This course is part of a statewide grant from the New York Farm Viability Institute that provides methods and materials to local County Extension offices to teach and host parasite mitigation strategies. 

Once you have taken the course and learned the basic techniques, you may gain access to the lab materials on-site at the Extension office and work with your local educators to complete your own samples. We are hoping to have the lab open for at least one day each month during the growing season for producers to run their own samples, catch up with their local educators and growers, and access the latest strategies for protecting your animals. As the weather in the Northeast becomes warmer and wetter due to climate change, we are likely to see further issues with parasites and parasite resistance to de-wormers. We must all work together to monitor and efficiently treat our animals to keep them healthy and happy.