Abstract
<h2>ABSTRACT</h2> The objective of this study was to assess the effects of horn fly and gastrointestinal (GI) nematode control on the performance of stocker cattle grazing Bermudagrass in Louisiana. A total of 168 (56 per trial) weaned calves were available for 3 trials. Stocker cattle were stratified by sex and BW and randomly assigned to 2 replicate treatment groups. The treatments were 1) no horn fly or GI nematode control; 2) horn fly control administrated with insecticidal ear tags, sprays, and pour-ons; 3) GI nematode control administrated every 28 d with fenbendazole; and 4) both horn fly and GI nematode control. Lengths of the trials were 84, 98, and 112 d for trials 1, 2, and 3, respectively, and trials were initiated in early to mid-May of each year. Horn fly and fecal egg counts were conducted periodically. Stocker cattle treated for horn flies had lower (P<0.05) fly counts than control cattle for each trial; however, counts for treated stocker cattle ranged from 42 to 62 flies per side. Stocker cattle treated with fenbendazole had lower (P<0.01) fecal egg counts than controls 14 d posttreatment in all 3 trials. In trials 1 and 2, stocker cattle treated for both horn flies and GI nematodes had 0.14 and 0.23kg greater ADG (P<0.06), respectively, compared with untreated stocker cattle. Under the conditions of this study, even with a lack of effective horn fly control, improved growth rates were achieved for stocker cattle when treated for both external and internal parasites.
Published Version
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