Internal parasites are a major health concern in small ruminants and can cause drastic economic losses.  Proper identification of parasites can aid in the prevention, treatment, and control of parasites.  A lack of resources and vets specializing in small ruminants are major obstacles producers face with managing internal parasites. 

The Adair County Cooperative Extension Service in collaboration with KY State University conducted a fecal egg workshop to provide producers with the knowledge and resources to properly identify and measure internal parasites in small ruminants.   A total of 35 producers participated in the workshop.  Producers brought fecal samples to the workshop and were not only able to receive results immediately on their samples, but learned to to process the samples themselves.  

As part of the effort, the Adair County Cooperative Extension Service purchased the necessary equipment and supplies to conduct fecal egg counts and made the equipment available for producers to use free of cost.  Since the workshop, four producers have utilized the equipment to address internal parasites within their herd.