SHEEP Country Episode 5 – WormFEC Gold: Smarter Breeding

WormFec Gold is a national breeder group working to combat drench resistance by selecting sheep with genetics for lower faecal egg counts, cleaner back ends and strong growth, helping farmers reduce drench use while maintaining performance.

In this episode, Waikato breeder and WormFec Gold spokesperson Kate Broadbent joins Jo Scott to explain how genetics, collaboration and farmer education are reshaping parasite management. She outlines the difference between resistance and resilience, why measuring matters, and what commercial farmers should be asking their ram breeders if they want to future-proof productivity, animal health and drench effectiveness.

Guest:

• Kate Broadbent, WormFec Gold

Host:

• Jo Scott, Genetic Specialist, Targeted Breeding

Kate Broadbent is a long-time breeder from western Waikato and a driving force behind WormFec Gold, a group uniting sheep breeders who are recording and selecting for genetic resistance to internal parasites. She explains how the group is helping shift the industry from relying on drenches to building naturally resilient flocks, with breeders working together to lift standards, share data and protect the future effectiveness of parasite control tools.

Kate discusses how the focus has moved from simply reducing faecal egg counts to combining resistance, resilience, growth and dag reduction in the same animals. She highlights why measuring and culling are non-negotiable, how commercial farmers can identify genuine progress in ram lines, and why genetics needs to work alongside on-farm management if farmers want long-term productivity, lower inputs and healthier sheep.

Find out more about WormFec Gold at their website here.