Grazing sheep and goats poses a high risk of gastrointestinal worm infections. An infestation with these parasites can severely impair the well-being and performance of small ruminants and, in the case of very severe infections, can even lead to death. Due to mandatory grazing, the risk of infestation is particularly high in organic farming.
Solution
Good pasture management makes a decisive contribution to the preventive regulation of gastrointestinal worms. This leaflet therefore gives great attention to the life cycle of gastrointestinal worms and suitable grazing strategies. Dewormers often have to be used to maintain good animal health. However, these should be used cautiously, as to not unnecessarily promote resistance. Unfortunately, there are only a few effective, practical alternatives to chemical-synthetic dewormers available in Europe. Alternatives are being researched in many countries. It is hoped that in a few years, solutions will be available to further reduce the use of dewormers.
Description
This technical guide shows how gastrointestinal worms in grazing sheep and goats can be sustainably regulated based on current knowledge and how the parasites' development of resistance can be delayed. The feed crop the common sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) as a fodder legume has been relatively well researched with regard to its effects on gastrointestinal worms, the possibilities but also the limitations of this plant in its use against parasites are explained.
In order to use the comment function, you must register with the third-party provider "Disqus".
When you activate this function, your browser establishes a direct connection with the servers of the third-party provider. We would like to point out that data is transmitted to the third-party provider after activation, and the latter may set cookies that can also be used for analysis and marketing purposes. For more information, please refer to our privacy policy.
Disqus
In order to use the comment function, you must register with the third-party provider "Disqus".
When you activate this function, your browser establishes a direct connection with the servers of the third-party provider. We would like to point out that data is transmitted to the third-party provider after activation, and the latter may set cookies that can also be used for analysis and marketing purposes. For more information, please refer to our privacy policy.
Activate