Faecal egg counts

Understand what your animals are shedding.

A faecal egg count, often called a worm egg count, measures the number of parasite eggs in a dung sample. It gives you a useful snapshot — and, over time, a clearer picture of your livestock.

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How an FEC works

A count turns a sample into a number you can follow.

The laboratory examines a prepared sample and reports eggs per gram (EPG). The result is one piece of the picture — its value comes from considering the animal group, season, history and the reason the sample was collected.

01Collect
Take a sample from the animals you want to understand.
02Count
The laboratory records the parasite eggs observed in the sample.
03Review
Keep the result with your history and use it in the right context.

Why test?

Build a better picture, one result at a time.

Monitor egg shedding

See what is being shed in a particular group at that point in time.

Follow changes

Compare results over time alongside grazing, condition and treatment records.

Support informed decisions

Bring practical records to the conversation with your veterinarian or adviser.

Testing can help assess treatment effectiveness when samples are collected before and after treatment as part of a planned test. Recounting the original sample cannot show whether a treatment worked.

What does a result mean?

The number matters — and so does the context.

There is no single calendar or threshold that suits every farm. Interpretation differs by species and management situation, and may be affected by factors including age, seasonal conditions, clinical signs and previous treatment history.

Sheep and goatsCounts support monitoring, with interpretation depending on worm type, the animal group and local conditions.

CattleCounts are generally more informative in young cattle. Older cattle may carry significant infections while shedding relatively few eggs.

HorsesCounts help monitor egg shedding and inform parasite control, but do not by themselves diagnose parasitic disease.

Your results in one place

Build useful history in your customer portal.

Store report history with the property, mob and animal details that make it meaningful. Reviewing past results makes it easier to spot changes and find the information you need.

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There is no single testing calendar or egg-count threshold that suits every Australian property. Plan monitoring around your livestock, local conditions and management goals with your veterinarian or animal health adviser. If an animal is unwell, seek veterinary advice rather than waiting for a routine test result.