A FARMER Network livestock event attracted more than 60 farmers to Agglethorpe Hall near Leyburn.

Ian Cairns, livestock consultant, demonstrated the handling points on a lamb to determine conformation and fat and also discussed reasons for lambs being rejected at abattoirs.

This includes abscess damage at injection points and he stressed that vaccinations should be given in the neck area where possible avoiding the larger muscle areas of the loin and rump. This was followed by a live handling demonstration and discussion about cross compliance rules.

Fiona Kenyon and Beth Wells from the Moredun Research Institute gave a talk on worms in sheep and cattle and how to reduce resistance to worming products. They stressed the need regularly make faecal egg counts to check whether worms are responsible for loss of condition as this might be a result of other diseases. Best practice to reduce resistance includes weighing animals to determine correct dose rate and checking that the dosing gun is giving the correct dose.

Resistance can also be reduced if farmers are able to use different wormers at different times of the year. However, farmers heard that dosing onto a clean pasture or aftermath is now thought to increase the risk of resistance due to increasing the likelihood that only resistant worms are on that area of land.

Specimens of the different types of worms were circulated and Fiona Kenyon explained their different hosts with farmers encouraged to find out more information from their website at www.moredun.org.uk/worms.

The farmers also had the opportunity to talk to representatives from a range of companies including those demonstrating EID products and software. Yorkshire Farmer Network coordinator, Carol Moffat, said: “Despite the wet weather we had a great evening with special thanks to Carrs Billington and Leyburn Auction Mart for their support."