As with anything there are a few golden rules that everyone should follow to ensure that the job is done right.

• Never drench calves at the calfeteria or mix drench with milk. Most oral drenches require slow absorption from a rumen depot for effectiveness – adding to milk prevents this happening.
• Never drench calves that are under 120kg or 4 months old with drenches containing abamectin (or similar industry agreed minimum).
• Determine if they actually need drenching at all with a faecel egg count.
• Always check that the drench gun is measuring accurately and that the dose is correct. Weigh enough animals to get an accurate weight. Issues can arise with either underdosing or overdosing.
• Never swap drench containers. If decanting to a smaller drenching container always write on container or transfer back to the original container when finished. Double check the correct product is being used.