Helping sheep farmers to maximise productivity by sustainably controlling parasites

The SCOPS Principles

1. Always make sure any treatment you give is fully effective.

2. Try to reduce your reliance on anthelmintics using management options and monitoring where possible.

Using FECs / video / video
Treatment of adult sheep
Grazing options
Planning ahead
Nutritional effects
Breeding sheep

3. Avoid bringing in resistant worms and/or other parasites by following a robust quarantine routine.

4. Minimise the selection for worms that are resistant to anthelmintics when you treat sheep.

Options for dose and move / video
Using products with persistent action
Dilution effects
Using the group 4 and 5 products mid/late season

SCOPS for UK sheep farmers

SCOPS is an industry led group that works in the interest of the UK sheep industry. It recognises that, left unchecked, anthelmintic resistance is one of the biggest challenges to the future health and profitability of the sector.

The SCOPS group was formed to develop sustainable strategies for parasite control in sheep, facilitate and oversee the delivery of these recommendations to the industry and ensure that new research and development is incorporated to refine and improve advice given to the sheep industry.

SCOPS includes representatives from a wide range of industry organisations – logos and links are below. The equivalent organisation for cattle is the Control Of Worms Sustainably (COWS).

SCOPS messages for Spring 2021

Top tips for worming ewes around lambing time

Leave at least one in 10 of the fittest ewes in each group untreated.
Make sure you drench to the heaviest ewes.
Check and calibrate drench guns before you start.
Click here for more

Take the plunge on scab control

Organophosphate dip must get down to the skin to kill sheep scab mites. This can only be done by plunge dipping for one minute.
OP is only authorised for use as a plunge dip. It must not be used through showers and jetters.
Click here for more

Test don't guess with liver fluke

Predicting the impact of liver fluke on individual farms is even more difficult this year than most.
Testing will determine if treatment is necessary this season, the most effective time to treat and the most suitable product choice.
Click here for more

News

SCOPS welcomes launch of new scab initiative in England Having long suggest to Defra that a coordinated response in hotspot areas could make a real difference to farmers plagued by sheep scab, SCOPS is delighted by the annoucement that funding has been granted to a Moredun-led project in three areas of England.... 7^th April 2021 Read More

SCOPS Nematodirus Forecast

SCOPS Nematodirus Forecast 2021

The SCOPS Nematodirus Forecast continues to be available, free-of-charge for sheep farmers, vets and advisors throughout the UK.

The continued cold weather means most areas around the country are still at low/medium risk, but - WARNING - SCOPS is urging sheep farmers to be on their guard should there be a sudden change to warmer conditions, as that could result in a surge in hatching of nematodirus.

15^th April 2021

Updated SCOPS Technical Manual

The recently updated SCOPS Internal Parasite Technical Manual is available on this website in a new format, which allows access to all sections using a navigation tree, including links to additional documents. This means users can access the information they need quickly and easily and, when sections are updated, they will be flagged, enabling users to keep abreast of developments in SCOPS science and practice.

Reference: Stubbings, L., Bartley, D., Busin, V., Lovatt, F., Page, P., Rose Vineer, H., Skuce, P. (2020) SCOPS Technical Manual. http://dx.doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/SQA4E

14^th January 2021 Read More

SCOPS Steering Group Members