ACSRPC | FAMACHA

Targeted Selective Treatment (TST), including the FAMACHA© System and Five Point Check©.

Targeted selective treatment (TST) is when only the animals who require deworming (or who would benefit from treatment) are dewormed. FAMACHA© is a diagnostic test to help small ruminant producers identify animals that require anthelmintic treatment and those which do not require deworming. The tool is a card that matches lower eyelid color to anemia levels, an indicator of clinical barber pole worm infection. Producers must receive training in order to receive a card. In addition to in-person workshops, training is available online. Louisiana State University is the sole distributor of FAMACHA© cards in North America.

Articles

A Friendly and Encouraging Challenge to the Agricultural Extension Community: A low cost tool that can greatly influence management of internal parasites in small ruminants; Jim Morgan, Ph.D. [February 2005].
An eye test for barber pole worm; USDA ARS [February 2006].
Do's and Don'ts of FAMACHA© Scoring. [PDF] Dr. Katherine Petersson, University of Rhode Island [February 2016].
Why and how to do FAMACHA© Scoring. Improving Small Ruminant Parasite Control in New England; Anne Zajac, Katherine Petersson, and Holly Burdett.
Why didn't deworming improve FAMACHA© scores? Steve Hart [updated Nov 2024].

Conference proceedings

The FAMACHA© System: an Aid in the Management of Haemonchosis in Small Ruminants. Dr. Adriano F. Vatta, Zoetis [May 2013].
FAMACHA© system: back to nature's basics. Dr. Faffa Malan, Prof. Gareth Bath, and Dr. Jan van Wyk; W4: What Works With Worms Congress, Pretoria, South Africa [May 2015].
Responding to the emergence of multiple-drug resistant Haemonchus contortus: smart drenching and FAMACHA©. Ray Kaplan, DVM, Ph.D., Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia [June 2005].
Leave the Best, Treat the Rest - Targeted Selective Treatment for the Resource-Poor in Africa. J.A. van Wyk and G. F. Bath. [May 2013].

Infographics

Research

Accuracy of FAMACHA© system for onfarm use by sheep and goat producers in the southeastern United States; J.M. Burke, R.M. Kaplan, J.E. Miller, T.H. Terrill, W.R. Getz, S. Mobini, E. Valencia; M.J. Williams, L.H. Williamson, and A.F. Vatta; Veterinary Parasitology [March 2007].
Association between FAMACHA© scores and fecal egg counts in Katahdin lambs. D. R. Notter, J. M. Burke, J. E. Miller, and J. L. M. Morgan. Journal of Animal Science [March 2017]
The FAMACHA© system for managing haemonchosis in sheep and goats by clinically identifying individual animals for treatment; Jan A. Van Wyk and Gareth F. Bath; Review article; Veterinary Research [May 2002].
The Five Point Check© for targeted selective treatment of internal parasites in small ruminants; G. Bath and J. Van Wyk. Small Ruminant Research. [Oct 2009]
Sensitivity and specificity of the FAMACHA© system in Suffolk sheep and crossbred Boer goats. C.S. Sotomaier, R. Rosalinksi-Morais, A.R. Barbosa da Costa, D. Maia, A.L.G. Monteiro, and J. Van Wyk. [Nov 2012]
Use of FAMACHA© system to evaluate gastrointestinal nematode resistance/resilience in offspring of stud rams; J. Burke and J. Miller; Veterinary Parasitology [May 2008].
Validation of the FAMACHA© Eye Color Chart for Detecting Clinical Anemia in Sheep and Goats on Farms in the Southern United States; R. Kaplan, J. Burke, T. Terrill, J. Miller, W. Getz, S. Mobini, E. Valencia, M. Williams, L. Williamson, M. Larsen, and. A. Vatta; Veterinary Parasitology [ August 2004].
Validation of the FAMACHA© system in South American camelids. Storey et al. Veterinary Parasitology [August 2017].

Podcasts

5-point check for parasites (with Michael Pesato) - For the Love of Goats [December 2022]

Useful information

Open letter to sheep and goat producers about FAMACHA© program. Dr. Adriano Vatta. American Consortium for Small Ruminant Parasite Control.
Possible methods of marking sheep that have been treated

Videos

Last updated 12.01.24. Links verified 12.01.24.