News

Studies have found that all estates across the country are infected with worms. Young birds are particularly susceptible to the threat of infection because when they are moved into the release pens their naïve immune systems can become overwhelmed with new parasitic challenges.

Veterinary surgeon Alistair Chilcott from Mount Vets discusses why in-feed medication with Flubenvet 5% is vital in supporting your birds’ health and performance. “In a year where every poult is highly valued, we must ensure the birds’ health is looked after throughout the production cycle; especially in the release pen where challenges in the environment are less within our control,” says Alistair.

Parasitic worms such as gapeworm and hairworm can seriously effect game bird performance and controlling these parasites is a problem that gamekeepers and game farmers face year on year.

Protecting pheasants and partridges, including overwintered hens, as poults through rearing into release from the threat of parasitic worms should be one of the key objectives to increasing performance.

Whether poults are sourced externally or produced from home reared stock, breeding hens will need to be in optimum condition in order to produce the best quality chicks. Pheasants and partridge must maintain good health throughout the winter and spring months to ensure optimal hatchability and production.

When overwintered hens are caught up ahead of laying, their stocking density increases and consequentially their parasitic challenge also rises.