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Knowing the parasites in your flock not only ensures that the correct treatments can be used, but suitable control programmes can also be
put in place to hopefully eradicate the parasite from your flock for good.
Here's a guide to what's out there and how you can treat it.
SCAB
Mites cause small pustules on surface of skin, which
produce the moist scab typical of this disease. This can
quickly extend especially over back and flanks.
Burrowing Mite
Common
name
Also known
as
Type of
organism
What does it
look like
?
Psoroptes ovis
LICE
can be biting
or sucking species.
The lice are bigger than mites and visible to the naked
eye on close examination.
Bovicola (Damilina)
ovis
TICKS
Approx the size of a black grain of rice when engorged
with blood. (The parasites puncture the skin to suck blood)
Ixodes ricinus
FLY STRIKE
Maggots clearly visible to the naked eye with distinctive
odour. These maggots will burrow into the flesh eventually
causing septicaemia shock and death.
Blowfly larvae
Myiasis
LUMPYWOOL
DISEASE
As the name suggests the fleece becomes distorted
and discoloured.
Bacteria
Dermatophilosis
RINGWORM
Powdery dandruff usually around head.
Fungal disease
Usually Trichophyton
ORF
Scabs around mouth feet/udder.
Virus
Parapox
FACIAL ECZEMA
Swollen or pus producing lesions.
Bacterial infection
SCRAPIE
Notifiable disease of the brain which can cause self mutilati
TSE
KEDS
Keds are wingless flies bigger than lice but causing
similar symptoms often in conjunction with lice.
Melophagus
Some other non-
Other mites can also cause scab like disease but are control