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 Launches 2020 Technical Manual Update

Following an expert review and comprehensive update, the new 2020 on-line version of the SCOPS Internal Parasite Technical Manual for Vets and Advisers went ‘live’ Monday 28th September. The new format allows access to all sections using a navigation tree, including links to additional documents. This means that 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.

Click here to be taken to the manual.

28^th September 2020 Read More

News

SCOPS says take the plunge……… Not a shower! The Sustainable Control of Parasites in Sheep (SCOPS) group is today launching a campaign reminding sheep farmers, contractors and prescribers that Organophosphate (OP) can only be used as a plunge dip.... 19^th October 2020 Read More

Sheep Scab

England to have a sheep scab project!

SCOPS welcomes the recent Defra announcement that they intend to ask for tenders for an RDPE funded project to tackle sheep scab in four ‘hotspot’ areas in England. This is based on a proposal submitted by SCOPS last year and we await further details.

Testing for sheep scab

With autumn drawing nearer many sheep will be moving around the country and with them comes the risk of sheep scab. The Elisa blood test developed by Moredun can be used to detect sheep scab just two weeks after exposure. Click here for information panels developed by a project led by Moredun for more information on how this test can be used.

Sheep Scab – Your Opinion Matters!

As part of a wider project, the University of Nottingham is undertaking research to address the challenges of sheep scab management in UK flocks. The aims to investigate the attitudes, beliefs, and choices of sheep farmers when managing sheep scab at the farm level and the results will contribute to developing best practice guidance for sheep scab control.

If you farm sheep and are willing to discuss sheep scab, please contact PhD student: [email protected]

REMEMBER – an OP must only be used as a plunge dip. It is neither licensed nor effective when used through a shower or jetter.

24^th August 2020

SCOPS Steering Group Members