Faecal egg counts to control parasites

Senior Certification Officer, Stephen Smith talks about how to carry out a faecal egg count and what it could reveal. 

What are faecal egg counts?

A faecal egg count (FEC) is a method of determining how many internal parasite eggs are present in a dung sample. It may also be possible to determine the different types of worms or other parasites present in the dung sample. The details for both the number and type of parasite can be used to determine whether or not an anti-parasitic treatment is required. FECs are also a useful tool to check for the presence of resistant worms. Resistance to the benzimidazole (white) and levamisole (yellow) wormer groups is common, particularly in sheep flocks in the UK.