SCOPS Podcast

Nematodirus Forecast: What It Tells Us and How to Use It

Thu, 2 Apr 2026 07:16:01 +0000

What is the nematodirus hatching forecast and what changes have been made in 2026?

Webinar https://youtu.be/7bMiTIt7KMs?si=ZTmJu-AwLOBC2mmY

SCOPS Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@scopsvideos8636/videos

Forecast on the website https://www.scops.org.uk/forecasts/nematodirus-forecast/

For more information on SCOPS visit www.scops.org.uk

For our podcast disclaimer see here - scops.org.uk/podcasts/

Host: Ben Eagle

Co-host: Nerys Wright

Guests: Hannah Vineer, Fiona Lovatt, Clare Wise

Make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss upcoming episodes on parasite control, diagnostics, and sustainable sheep health.

Suspecting Wormer Failure: What Next? It might not be resistance.

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 04:00:00 +0000

For more information on SCOPS visit www.scops.org.uk

For our podcast disclaimer see here - scops.org.uk/podcasts/

Host: Ben Eagle

Co-host: Lesley Stubbings

Guests: Will Allman, Andrew Pattison, Chloe Partridge

Make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss upcoming episodes on parasite control, diagnostics, and sustainable sheep health.

This episode is supported by: Boehringer Ingelheim; Elanco; Norbrook; Zoetis

Liver Fluke - Using antibody testing to decide if and when to treat sheep in the autumn and early winter

Wed, 3 Sep 2025 04:00:00 +0000

As the trend towards drier, hotter summers and warmer, wetter winters continues, the liver fluke season is shifting, and the time when grazing animals are picking up liver fluke off pasture is tending to be later but also extremely variable between farms.

Lesley and guests discuss how farmers and their vets can use antibody detection early in the liver fluke ‘season’ to pinpoint when (or if) animals have become infected and time any treatment accurately.

Antibodies can be detected from as early as two weeks post infection while faecal based coproantigen or egg detection tests are useful much later in the season when the fluke are more mature inside the animal.

Lesley is joined by Prof. Diana Williams, University of Liverpool, Vet Phillipa Page from Flock Health Ltd and farmer Michael Rhodes from Lancaster. The panel discuss how to use antibody testing and the new Lateral Flow Test (LFT) developed by University of Liverpool which just requires a drop of blood and can be done quickly on farm.

For more information on SCOPS visit www.scops.org.uk

For our podcast disclaimer see here - scops.org.uk/podcasts/

Host: Ben Eagle

Co-host: Lesley Stubbings

Guests: Prof Diana Williams, Phillipa Page, Michael Rhodes.

Make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss upcoming episodes on parasite control, diagnostics, and sustainable sheep health.

This episode is supported by: Boehringer Ingelheim; Elanco; Norbrook; Zoetis

Interpreting a Faecal Egg Count Report

Mon, 18 Aug 2025 12:00:00 +0000

For more information on SCOPS visit www.scops.org.uk

For our podcast disclaimer see here - scops.org.uk/podcasts/

Host: Ben Eagle

Co-host: Nerys Wright

Guests: Rebecca Mearns, Olly Matthews, Robert Spink.

Make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss upcoming episodes on parasite control, diagnostics, and sustainable sheep health.

This episode is supported by: Boehringer Ingelheim; Elanco; Norbrook; Zoetis

Haemonchus: What to Look For and How to Respond – No Need to Panic

Tue, 22 Jul 2025 16:36:30 +0000

For more information on SCOPS visit www.scops.org.uk

For our podcast disclaimer see here - scops.org.uk/podcasts/

Host: Ben Eagle

Co-host: Nerys Wright

Guests: Jen Oglesby, Will Roobottom, Kaz Strycharczyk

This is just the start of Series 3 — make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss upcoming episodes on parasite control, diagnostics, and sustainable sheep health.

This episode is supported by: Boehringer Ingelheim; Elanco; Norbrook; Zoetis

Liver Fluke: Dealing with A High Risk Forecast

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Back in series 1 we discussed Liver Fluke but today we’re going to dive into the subject in more detail and talk about how to approach a season where the risk of liver fluke is predicted to be high. In the past many farmers would have heard the risk is high and simply reached for the drench gun - today we want to explore why that is no longer an effective option and talk about the available alternatives.

Host Ben Eagle is joined by Lesley Stubbings, Independent Consultant working with SCOPS. We are also joined by John Graham-Brown from the University of Liverpool, Joe Angell a vet from Wern Vets in North Wales and farmer Alex Crossley.

Useful Links:

https://www.nadis.org.uk/parasite-forecast.aspx

https://www.scops.org.uk/internal-parasites/liver-fluke/

Testing for liver fluke: A joint SCOPS and COWS webinar to introduce the new lateral flow test | Webinars | National Sheep Association

Liver Fluke Rapid Antibody Test | Norbrook Laboratories

Lack of efficacy of triclabendazole against Fasciola hepatica is present on sheep farms in three regions of England, and Wales - Kamaludeen - 2019 - Veterinary Record - Wiley Online Library

Don’t Panic! Coping with a diagnosis of multi-anthelmintic resistance

Fri, 26 Jul 2024 04:00:00 +0000

In this episode we are talking about multi-anthelmintic resistance and what to do if and when this happens. You have probably heard a lot about increasing resistance to anthelmintics in recent years and there are now reports that worms on some sheep farms have resistance to more than one class of wormer. So in this episode we’ll be asking what this really means.

Ben's co-host is Dr David Bartley, who is a Principal Investigator in the Disease Control Division of Moredun Research Institute. Guests include vet Emily Gascoigne who is based in Dorset and David Cotterell, the farm manager at Kingston Maurward College in Dorchester. The panel tell us what they have learned when it comes to tackling multi anthelmintic resistance on farms and how to maintain effective worm control.

For more information on SCOPS visit www.scops.org.uk

For our podcast disclaimer see here - scops.org.uk/podcasts/

Host: Ben Eagle

Co-host: Dr David Bartley (Moredun Research Institute)

Guests: Emily Gascoigne (vet, Dorset); David Cotterell (farm manager, Dorset)

Understanding and implementing a mid/late season break dose

Tue, 23 Jul 2024 04:00:00 +0000

In this episode we are talking about incorporating a Group 4 or 5 wormer as a mid to late season dose for your lambs. We’ll discuss when and how they can be best used to preserve the efficacy of all the wormer groups and why farmers shouldn’t ‘wait’ to use them.

For more information on SCOPS visit www.scops.org.uk

For our podcast disclaimer see here - scops.org.uk/podcasts/

Host: Ben Eagle

Co-host: Lesley Stubbings (sheep consultant)

Guests: Nerys Wright (sheep consultant), Chris Elkington (sheep farmer, Lincolnshire) and Joe Henry (vet, Northumberland)

Turning gold standard quarantine recommendations into practical reality

Fri, 19 Jul 2024 04:00:00 +0000

In this episode we are talking about quarantine procedures and how you can make simple recommendations daily reality. Quarantine and associated treatments are vital components in maintaining flock health – preventing parasites and other diseases from being imported into the home flock – and there’s a long list of diseases and conditions that can be prevented through quarantine procedure. So why is it that when surveys are carried out so few farmers actually seem to employ any quarantine routine?

For more information on SCOPS visit www.scops.org.uk

For our podcast disclaimer see here - scops.org.uk/podcasts/

Host: Ben Eagle

Co-host: Nerys Wright (sheep consultant)

Guests: Bryan and Liz Griffiths (farmer in north Devon); Davinia Hinde (vet in Yorkshire)

Implementing the SCOPS principles to reduce the impact of medicine use on the environment

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 04:00:00 +0000

In this episode we talk about environmental impacts and how acting on the SCOPS principles can help to reduce the impact of medicine use on the environment. We ask what it means in practice for parasite control in sheep and cattle, how achievable it is and what tools there are to enable it?

For more information on SCOPS visit www.scops.org.uk

For our podcast disclaimer see here - scops.org.uk/podcasts/

Host: Ben Eagle

Co-host: Dr Philip Skuce (Moredun Research Institute)

Guests: Rob Howe (vet); Rich Thomas (mixed farmer from Herefordshire)

Don’t get caught out by liver fluke – understanding and responding to risk (in association with Moredun)

Fri, 24 Nov 2023 05:00:00 +0000

This episode is brought to you from SCOPS in association with the Moredun Research Institute in Midlothian.

For the final episode of this series, we are talking about liver fluke in this episode, explaining what it is, how it’s treated and the risk of resistance. Ben's co-host is Dr Philip Skuce, a senior research scientist at the Moredun Research Institute.

Ben and Philip are joined by Davinia Hinde from Bainbridge Vets in the Yorkshire Dales and Brian Walker, a sheep farmer from Argyll.

For more information on SCOPS visit www.scops.org.uk

For our podcast disclaimer see here - scops.org.uk/podcasts/

Tackling Sheep Scab (in association with Moredun)

Fri, 3 Nov 2023 05:00:00 +0000

This episode is brought to you from SCOPS in association with the Moredun Research Institute in Midlothian.

Sheep scab has been around for centuries, but what is it, why is it so difficult to control and how can it be controlled?

Ben's co-host today is Dr Stew Burgess, who leads the sheep scab group at the Moredun Research Institute.

Ben and Stew are joined by Ian May who is a sheep farmer and south west regional manager from the NSA and Karen Swindlehurst who is an experienced farm vet with Dalehead vet group. Both Karen and Ian were coordinators for the RDPE funded sheep scab initiative that we’re going to discuss a but later on.

For more information on SCOPS visit www.scops.org.uk

For our podcast disclaimer see here - scops.org.uk/podcasts/

Practical Options for Performing Wormer Treatment Checks and Faecal Egg Counts

Fri, 27 Oct 2023 04:00:00 +0000

For more information on SCOPS visit www.scops.org.uk

For our podcast disclaimer see here - scops.org.uk/podcasts/

Today on the podcast we’re talking about practical options for performing wormer treatment checks and faecal egg counts. What are the major monitoring tools that are available? When and how often should you be performing wormer treatments in the first place? What’s the difference between a good and a bad faecal egg count sample? And, what does resistance really mean? These are just some of the questions that we’ll be tackling.

Host: Ben Eagle

Co-host: Lesley Stubbings

Guests: Rebecca Mearns (Senior Veterinary Advisor at Biobest) and Anna Hawke (farming near Salisbury).

The SCOPS Principles in Action on Farms

Mon, 23 Oct 2023 04:00:00 +0000

For more information on SCOPS visit www.scops.org.uk

For our podcast disclaimer see here - scops.org.uk/podcasts/

Host: Ben Eagle

Co-host: Kevin Harrison (Chair of SCOPS)

Guests: Phillipa Page (Vet, Flock Health Ltd); Jessica Frost (Fram Farmers)

Phillipa Page is a vet consultant with Flock Health Limited. After qualifying as a vet in 2006 Phillipa worked initially in a mixed practice in South Wales before moving into farm animal practice in Gloucestershire. She is also a tenant farmer with her husband working with 380 breeding commercial ewes. She has been an active member of the British Cattle Veterinary Association and the Sheep Veterinary Society executive committees.

Jess Frost is an Animal Health Specialist with Fram Farmers. She has been with FF for 9 and a half years and been an SQP for 9 years.

Principle 1: ‘always make sure that any treatment you give is fully effective’.

Principle 2: 'try to reduce your reliance on anthelmintics using management options and monitoring where possible’

Principle 3: ‘avoid bringing in resistant worms and/or other parasites by following a robust quarantine routine’

Principle 4: ‘minimise the selection for worms that are resistant to anthelmintics when you treat sheep’ .

Coming soon...new SCOPS podcast

enquiries@nationalsheep.org.uk (Ben Eagle) — Mon, 16 Oct 2023 11:03:20 +0000

Podcast launches on Monday 23rd October 2023.

For more information on SCOPS click here.