On September 27, 2022, Dr. Jerusha Lay and I provided one-on-one training in the use of a microscope to run fecal egg count testing to the Marion county agricultural agent.  This training was part of the 2501 grant to provide better outreach to the underserved community of farmers with regards to herd health.

               Fecal egg count testing is a necessary tool for use by sheep and goat farmers to observe and measure parasite outbreak population among herds.  Users will take a fecal sample from their herd(s) and mix it with a solution to break it apart.    After a 15 minute waiting period, users can take a small sample from the solution, drop it onto a microscope slide, then observe for any parasite activity and count the number of parasite eggs in the solution to determine the scope of a parasite outbreak.  This testing is necessary to determine herd health issues and, if necessary, what practices and medications to administer to combat the outbreak.

               Prior to this training, the Marion county agent had not performed this testing or used a microscope for this purpose.  Dr. Lay and I were able to successfully train the agent on the correct procedure and observed that correct technique was being used.  By training the agent in this testing and correct microscope use, they will be able to train sheep and goat farmers to conduct this testing themselves or meet with the agent to have the testing done to combat parasite outbreaks.   This goal will thusly make an impact on herd health across the state and reduce the number of parasite outbreaks.