Agricultural control measures against intestinal parasites in cattle.

Abstract

Six groups, each of 12 bull calves which were born in May, castrated, dehorned and vaccinated against lungworms, were put out to pasture in May. The groups varied as to grassland management, supplemental feeding, and prophylactic use of anthelmintics. Serious parasitic gastro-enteritis (PGE) occurred in the control group rotationally grazing previously grazed pastures; three animals died. Mowing the first cut and normal rotational grazing afterwards gave hardly any better live weight gains; one animal died with PGE. Feeding additional concentrates or prophylactic thiabendazole treatment only slightly improved weight gains and increased costs. The only effective method to obtain good weight gains and to keep worm infestations low and harmless was rotational grazing on aftermath. The applicability and effectiveness of this latter method were confirmed in field trials on 50 farms.-AWJ. (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission)