3rd October 2023

THE IMPORTANCE OF A SPRING DRENCH

A Spring drench strategically removes worms accumulated inside cattle over the cooler months. In this way, a Spring drench is often described as a ‘clean up’ drench. This will protect against weight loss over the season. 

Research conducted by the NSW DPI and North Coast LLLS with 245 mixed-breed steers, 9-11 months old, sourced from over 50 farms, found that young animals not treated effectively against worms were 15 kilograms lighter after 90 days.¹

WHAT WORMS DO WE TARGET IN SPRING TO AVOID PRODUCTION LOSS? 

Spring is a transitional time when temperatures are favourable for many worm species.  Ostertagia, the most significant cattle worm, prefers cooler temperatures, so peak burdens are usually found over winter and early spring.²

• Ostertagia does not lay many eggs, so any detection in faecal testing can indicate a significant problem. 
• Inadequate control of Ostertagia in young cattle can lead to losses of over 30kg during just one season³.
• In young breeders, poor Ostertagia control will majorly impact health and fertility³.  

THE HIDDEN PROBLEM WITH OSTERTAGIA

An important feature of Ostertagia is its ability to hide in the stomach lining during warmer months (inhibited larva).

The risks from Ostertagia follow a seasonal pattern²:

• In Autumn, young calves contaminate paddocks with large numbers of eggs. These eggs hatch and become immature larvae waiting in the paddocks to reinfest cattle. The number of these larvae peaks in late winter (green line).  
• Cattle ingest larvae, and they grow up to become adults. Adult worms inside the cattle are peaking in early Spring (blue line). 
• As temperatures increase, some worms become inhibited by hiding in the stomach lining. This process begins in early Spring and peaks mid-summer (red line).  These inhibited larvae will re-emerge in Autumn, and the cycle continues.

WHAT DO YOU NEED FROM A SPRING DRENCH?

A Spring Drench should ideally:

1. Treat existing burdens with high efficacy 
2. Protect against new larval burdens for a few weeks 
3. Remove inhibited larva 

Cydectin Platinum has 99-100% efficacy against existing worm burdens. On average, many other commonly used drenches are only 72% effective⁴. 

Cydectin Platinum is the only combination drench with persistent activity.  The persistent activity protects against new larval burdens and reduces pasture contamination for up to 35 days⁵.

Cydectin Platinum has a powerful action in treating inhibited worms. Some recently registered drenches, such as Dectomax V, lack a claim against inhibited Ostertagia⁶. It is essential to control inhibited Ostertagia in all cattle less than two years of age.

THIS SPRING, UNLOCK ALL POTENTIAL GROWTH OF YOUR CATTLE

This Spring, use Cydectin Platinum because it is highly effective to clean out cattle of all worms, has the persistence to kill incoming worm larvae for longer, reduces the overall paddock contamination and protects the growth of your cattle on pasture.  

The trial conducted by NSW DPI and North Coast LLS found that the use of Cydectin Platinum increased the growth of cattle over 63 days by¹:

• 11kg compared to untreated cattle
• 8kg compared to Dectomax Pour On

SPECIAL OFFER

Choose Cydectin Platinum to clean out cattle of all worms and reduce paddock contamination this Spring and to earn double points as a Nutrien Rewards customer*. With Christmas just around the corner, it’s a great time to build up those points and ensure a healthy, productive herd.

Don't miss out on this double rewards opportunity! Get your Cydectin Platinum today.

REFERENCES:

1. The Australian Society for Parasitology (2014) Australasian Animal Parasites Inside Out. E-Textbook 2.Bullen et al. (2016), Anthelmintic resistance in gastrointestinal nematodes of dairy cattle in the Macalister District of Victoria, AVJ 94, 35-41. 3. Refer to the registered label (APVMA N 88072). Weight Gain is not a Cydectin Platinum Claim. 4. NSW DPI (2020) Duck Creek Endoparasite Trial Virbac Data on File. 

*The Virbac Cydectin Platinum Double Points points promotion is valid nationally to Nutrien Rewards Members. To be eligible for the double points offer, the Nutrien Rewards member must purchase Virbac Cydectin Platinum products from any Nutrien Ag Solutions store that is part of the Nutrien Rewards Program between 1 October and 31 October 2023 (inclusive) using their Nutrien Account. Points will be applied to the Member’s Nutrien Rewards account the following month. Please see Nutrien Rewards Terms and Conditions for more details.

The information provided in this article is intended as a guide only. Information contained in this article has been provided by the manufacturer. You should not rely on the information in this article, and it should not be considered advice. You should seek professional advice regarding relevant factors specific to your situation. This article does not take into account variable conditions that may impact performance. Always read and follow label directions before using any product in this article. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Nutrien Ag Solutions Limited and its related associated entities will not be liable for any loss or damage suffered by any person arising out of any reliance on any information contained in this article.