Determining whether a herd is exposed to parasites can be accomplished easily using a sensitive fecal worm egg flotation technique. The modified Wisconsin Sugar Flotation Method is the recommended technique for dairy cattle.
Diagram of method prepared by Dr. Bill Kvasnicka, Extension Veterinarian, University of Nevada-Reno.
The Wisconsin Sugar-Flotation technique is more sensitive than the Fecalyzer technique if low numbers of eggs are present as is usually the case in dairy cows. A fecal sample from a dairy cow was subdivided and the following results were obtained.
| Method | Number of Subsamples | Number of Positive(%) | Avg. EPG from Pos. Subsamples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin Sugar | 10 | 10(100) | 7.8 |
| Cornell-McMaster | 10 | 2(20) | 50.0 |
| Fecalyzer | - | 3(30) | 1.0 |