PARASITES ARE STILL A BURDEN The autumn weather is often warm enough to support growth and multiplication of intestinal worms, so regular faecal egg counting and vigilance for ill thrift is still very important. FAMACHA scoring the mucous membranes around the eyes is a useful companion to faecal egg counting. This involves assessing the level of anaemia by comparing against a colour guided chart.
Animals particularly at risk of parasite burdens are the very old, very young, and those supporting cria. Regular faecal egg counts with techniques that are designed to identify camelid-specific parasites should continue into the autumn and should also be carried out if you have any health concerns over an individual animal.
It is important to take veterinary advice on which animals to sample and seek support with interpreting results of faecal testing for optimal treatment regimes.
BODY CONDITION SCORES As winter approaches, you may wish to assess your animals’ body condition scores (BCS). If you are not yet used to condition scoring, this can be demonstrated by your vet. BCSs range from 1-5, or 1-10, with 1 being emaciated and the other end of the scales, obese.
This story is from the October 2022 edition of The Country Smallholder.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the October 2022 edition of The Country Smallholder.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
How to Buy a Smallholding in France- Long-time smallholder Lorraine Turnbull looks at the practicalities of moving to rural France
Aspiring smallholders are continually thwarted by the prices of smallholdings and property with land located within the UK. Even the humblest croft in Scotland comes with a substantial price tag and conditions which would make even an adventurous wannabee consider carefully. But all is not lost. For those willing to take the adventure of a lifetime, there is always Europe, and one of the most popular places is France.
Meet the Bournemouth goats and their supporters
These capricious animals are hard workers preserving the natural habitat
Still warm enough to sit outside with a Pizza
Henrietta Balcon uses fresh figs to create an unusual dish at Harvest time
Goodbye to the birds of spring and summer
If you look and listen you might be able to see them preparing to leave says The RSPB
Get ready for the colder weather in the warmth of late summer
Claire Waring advises on doing the best to make sure your colonies survive until next spring
Preparing the Veg Patch for Winter
Lee Senior says, a well-run plot can excitingly continue to produce good quality, tasty, fresh food for much of winter
Time to prepare to plant your orchard
Wade Muggleton, smallholder and author of The Orchard Book, shares his practical experience so you can create your own fruit collection
Choosing feed for the autumn
As autumn approaches, Joanna Palmer, nutritionist at the Smallholder Range, offers advice on choosing the right feed to support your adult birds through their annual moult and ensure your young birds grow and finish well at this time of the year.
Vet advice from an experienced poultry vet
Reflecting on how much the humble hen has helped people world wide plus advice on stopping the scourge of red mite
Give your hens some support
Paul Donovan looks at the right and wrong ways of handling birds
