01 December 2022 

It’s a busy time of year for any farmer, but for FECPAKG2 client George Richardson of Rent-A-Reindeer in Durham, December is an especially important month when it comes to managing the health and performance of his herd.  

George states “animal welfare is of the upmost importance, especially during the festive period. It’s not just a combination of air speed, lift and Christmas spirit that gets Santa and his reindeer on their way Christmas Eve…the reindeer undergo important health checks to make sure they’re in tip top condition.”  

George, who has the largest herd of reindeer in England, says he “uses his FECPAKG2 system to FEC test each month to monitor herd health”.  

General Manager of Techion UK – which developed the FECPAKG2 -  Eurion Thomas says with unusually mild weather for the time of year, the message to FEC test on a regular basis is more relevant than ever. Temperatures have been as high as 20oC in November compared to the average temperature for the month which is usually between 4oC – 10oC. The balmy November weather means worm burdens have remained relatively high for the time of the year.  

While not everyone has the help of elves to carry out the fun job of collecting samples for testing like Santa, regular FEC testing enables farmers to take greater control of managing worms in livestock.  

Eurion Thomas said; “although we’re heading into winter farmers shouldn’t assume stock aren’t challenged by worms. We recommend checking young outwintered cattle, store ewe lambs or rams which have finished performing for the year to ensure they are in optimal health – just like George Richardson’s Rent-A-Reindeer flock.” 

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