Mom: Good, you are just in time to help collect fecal samples from the sheep.
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Anna puts on her going out to help collect fecal samples pants with rubber boots and gloves and we head out into the field. Twenty minutes later, we feel pretty good having 14 fecal samples collected, bagged, and labeled. We have mastered the technique of getting samples. We use a rubber glove to catch (or go in for-as the case may be at times) the fecal sample. Then, we pull the glove off leaving the sample inside the glove. We put it in a zip lock bag and label it. All fecal samples are then bagged together and stored in the refrigerator until ready for the mail. We package the samples with a freezer pack and shipped priority mail as soon as possible.
These samples are sent off to MidAmerica Agricultural Research for testing. This lab uses the “Modified Wisconsin Sugar Flotation Method” of testing, giving very accurate results for nine different parasites. Knowing which parasites the sheep have is important as treatment varies depending upon which parasite the sheep have.
End of summer is a great time to check for parasite loads. Heading into the breeding season, you want your ewes in top condition. For more information about fecal testing you may enjoy reading the following:
Pasture Management for Parasite Control
