Salt marsh lamb producer shares preventative approach to flock health
23rd October 2024
Efforts to prevent wormer resistance and blowfly strike are paying dividends for one of the country’s largest salt marsh lamb producers. Farmers Guide finds out more.
A preventative approach to flock health is a key focus of the Pritchard family’s salt marsh lamb business.
Father and son duo, Roland and Daniel Pritchard, run a flock of 1,000 Easy Care and Welsh Mule ewes across 250 acres of coastal lowland at Weobley Castle Farm in Llanrhidian, near Swansea.
Their Gower Salt Marsh flock is the largest to graze the salt marshes in the UK, and the bulk of the farm’s produce is sold online directly to consumers across the country.
Unique system
The tidal marsh provides the main source of forage in the summer months for the Pritchard family’s flock.
Explaining how the salt marsh-based farming system works, Daniel says:
“The sheep spend most of their time on the salt marshes, but they come in for lambing, shearing and other treatments, as well as during high tide.
“Apart from that, they’re out on the marshes, and while there are a few different flocks down there, they know which parts are home for them.”
He explains the forage on the salt marshes is rich and diverse, consisting of salt marsh grass, sea lavender and samphire.
“This provides the flock with plenty of key nutrients that contribute to good growth rates,” adds Daniel.
“It also gives the lamb a much sweeter and slightly stronger flavour because of their unique diet.”
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Parasite control
A key focus of the Pritchard family’s flock health plan is working to limit the impacts of wormer resistance, through the use of a Group 4 wormer.
“We’ve got confirmed resistance to Group 1 and 2 wormers, so we administer a late season break dose of Group 4, Zolvix, to remove any worms that have been left behind from previous treatments,” explains Daniel.
“Zolvix may be more expensive than other brands, but I know it works – if I used something less effective, it would cost me far more in the long run.”
He says the Group 4 wormer is also used as a quarantine dose for any replacement stock, to prevent any resistant worms being brought in.
Fly strike
A preventative approach is also applied to blowfly control and the Pritchards make use of Elanco’s Blowfly Risk Forecast to monitor strike risk.
“It can be hard to know exactly when fly populations arise and how long strike risk will last, as the weather conditions vary year on year, but it’s important lambs are protected for the season,” says Daniel.
“I look at the Blowfly Risk Forecast to see when the fly pressures are rising, combined with the local weather conditions. I can then take a preventative approach rather than a corrective one.”
An insect growth regulator (IGR) product that offers up to 19 weeks of protection – CLiK Extra – is applied at the start of the season, before the sheep are turned out in May.
“This gives us peace of mind that we’re covered for the whole summer as we don’t really see the flock while they’re away on the marsh,” says Daniel.
“As a result, we’ve seen very little fly strike, and when we do, it’s only because we’ve missed a sheep.”
He says fly strike prevention has always been important to the business, given the financial and welfare implications of not managing it correctly in the first place.His comments are backed by research which has shown mortalities caused by blowfly strike can cost UK farmers up to £209 per lamb and £184 per breeding ewe.
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