McMaster Technique Offers Delaware Livestock Producers and Veterinarians More Options in Herd Health

DOVER, Del. (October 1, 2024) – The Delaware Department of Agriculture (DDA) announced that beginning October 15, 2024, the cost of fecal analysis testing performed by the Poultry and Animal Health Section will increase to $3.00 per sample.

The Poultry and Animal Health Section will begin offering livestock fecal sample analysis using the McMaster technique for relevant livestock species, and the current qualitative fecal float testing will still be performed as appropriate by species. The McMaster technique is an improvement over the currently used method because it provides a quantitative assessment (count) of the number of strongyle eggs in the sample. Strongyles are the most common parasite seen in fecal samples from sheep, goats, camelids, and horses in Delaware. With this technique, producers can better work with their veterinarians to determine a deworming protocol for their animals and determine the effectiveness of the protocol.

For additional details about these charges or submitting samples for testing, please contact the Delaware Department of Agriculture’s Poultry and Animal Health Section at 302-698-4561.

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