Barber’s Pole is a harmful roundworm and can be fatal for all sheep and goats.
Adult worms can be inhibited inside the sheep or goat for varying periods of time and can resume activity when the external environmental conditions become favourable. This is generally after wet conditions in summer and spring as well as when there is green feed about, as the larvae needs warm conditions and moisture on the ground to develop.
The worm can be clearly visible as they can be up to 20-30mm long and are pink- ish in colour.
Signs of Barber’s Pole can be lethargy, failure to gain weight, bottle jaw and a break in the wool.
Barber’s Pole can increase rapidly leading to large-scale losses if not controlled immediately. The whole flock should be yarded and drenched as soon as signs appear.
It is recommended to move sheep to another paddock after they have been drenched to ensure they don’t contract it again.
Paddocks that sheep or goats have been in with outbreaks of Barber’s Pole should be regarded as dangerous until a dry summer has passed as Barber’s Pole can stay in the paddock for long periods of time.
If a flock must remain in the same paddock, they should be treated with a drench with persistent action to prevent re-infection soon after treatment