Abstract
Background and Aim:Sheep production plays a crucial role in the economy of Lesotho by increasing economic state of the rural poor. However, gastrointestinal parasites infection is the most limiting factor in sheep productivity and has a highly detrimental effect on the sheep industry. Therefore this study aimed to evaluate farmers’ awareness and understanding of controlling gastrointestinal parasites of merino sheep in four Lesotho agro-ecological zones.Materials and Methods:Data were collected using a simple random sampling of 106 farmers in the lowlands, foothills, mountains, and Senqu river valley. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (version 20.00). Descriptive statistics were employed with cross-tabulations and tested with Chi-square and post hoc tests.Results:The majority of farmers (80%) were aware of the gastrointestinal parasites. Most farmers (70%) reported a high prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites and associated it with lamb mortality in summer and autumn. Farmers use anthelmintics for treating gastrointestinal parasites in animals, and 93% of them reported the effectiveness of the drugs. However, more than 80% of farmers routinely use anthelmintics. The results revealed that 81.5%, 66.7%, 80%, and 66.7% of farmers from the lowlands, foothills, mountains, and Senqu river valley, respectively, keep sheep in non-roofed enclosures cleaned only after rains to avoid mud. Communal grazing is used as the main source of animal feeding where different livestock species share the same rangelands. Most farmers (more than 70%) believed that grazing lands were the main source of gastrointestinal parasites transmission.Conclusion:Farmers in Lesotho are aware of gastrointestinal parasites and apply control methods to combat the gastrointestinal parasites in merino sheep. However, a need still exists for them to be empowered with skills for improving management systems and the knowledge on how the gastrointestinal parasites behave at different times of the year and in different agro-ecological zones. This will assist them in adhering to the dosing schedule designed by animal health experts.
Highlights
Livestock farming assumes a critical role in subsistence agriculture in Lesotho, as in any other SubSaharan African country [1]
Farmers use anthelmintics for treating gastrointestinal parasites in animals, and 93% of them reported the effectiveness of the drugs
Most farmers believed that grazing lands were the main source of gastrointestinal parasites transmission
Summary
Livestock farming assumes a critical role in subsistence agriculture in Lesotho, as in any other SubSaharan African country [1]. Livestock can increase income for most farmers, especially the rural resource poor and could serve as insurance against food deficit during extended droughts [2,3]. The health and productivity of grazing sheep are compromised due to the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites that lead to higher use of anthelmintics [4]. Anthelmintics have proved successful in controlling different gastrointestinal parasites, especially when integrated with good farm management practices [5], the effectiveness of anthelmintics is lessened by the Copyright: Mahlehla, et al Open Access. Sheep production plays a crucial role in the economy of Lesotho by increasing economic state of the rural poor. This study aimed to evaluate farmers’ awareness and understanding of controlling gastrointestinal parasites of merino sheep in four Lesotho agro-ecological zones
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