As you may have heard in the media recently, triple drench resistance in cattle is quickly becoming an issue for New Zealand farmers. 

This week on the podcast, we are joined by Dave Leathwick and Christian Sauerman from AgResearch. They share how they came across the issue, why it has occurred and what producers can do to mitigate the risks of developing triple drench resistance. 

Dave and Christian are both ‘accidental parasitologists’, with Dave initially studying entomology, while Christian was focused on biology and zoology. However, both have now been working with parasites for a combined 51 years! 

Dave explains that drench resistance has been a long-standing issue: “The national survey that was done on cattle in 2004/2005 - virtually every farm in New Zealand had drench resistance to at least one active - and it just made no difference. Nobody paid any attention.” Now, 20 years later, the issue is far worse. 

The research pair point out that they weren’t looking for evidence of triple drench resistance and it only came to their attention when a few farmers had issues with calves not performing well. FEC tests showed alarmingly high worm numbers, considering the animals had been drenched just three weeks prior, and tipped them off to the extent of the problem. 

Christian highlights the signs and symptoms that cattle will show and also what producers can do to negate the risks of triple drench resistance. But you’ll have to tune in for that! 

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