Parasites 
As winter approaches we are thinking about housing cattle and what dosing product (anthelmintic) to use to reduce their parasite burden. In the past we often blanket treated our cattle without giving much thought to the worms they have. Better practice would be to collect pooled faecal samples from every cohort on your farm. When the results are back, discuss them with your vet and he or she will tailor a plan to suit your animals.
Why are we changing policy slightly?
As the years go by and we continue to use the same dose (anthelmintic) it transpires that the parasites may become resistant.
Therefore, it is better to target the parasite you have rather than blanket treatment.