Benefits of growing red clover and the use of FECPAK to reduce reliance on anthelmintic drugs

Richard Smith visits a stand of red clover at Daylesford Farm and then demonstrates the use of FECPAK to reduce the reliance on anthelmintic drugs for managing stock parasites. 

Benefits of red clover:

• Builds fertility in the topsoil which will help to improve future cereal crops. 
• Fantastic fuel for lambs when combined with rye grass to prevent bloat. Grazing sheep on stands of pure red clover can lead to issues with 'red gut' which is why the addition of rye grass is essential. 
• Has anthelmintic properties to help protect sheep from parasites. 
• Silage can be taken once or even twice a year. 
• Can be used as green manure.
• Helps to control weeds due to its dense nature. 

Use of FECPAK:

• A system developed in New Zealand, FECKPAK is used at Daylesford to reduce the reliance on anthelmintic drugs.
• The system is used to identify the parasites that are affecting the livestock and to build a picture of where the 'sick areas' of the farm are.
• Management plans can then be established for grazing the next year, to reduce the risk of stock being affected by parasites. 

Note: Apologies for the wind noise in the video - improvements will be made to reduce this in next month's blog.