Control of ovine gastrointestinal helminthiasis by the use of ‘clean’ grazing and strategic dosing in the field

Abstract

Despite the widespread adoption of clean grazing systems in lowland sheep flocks, detailed parasitological investigations had not previously been carried out on such flocks. A trial was therefore conducted on two commercial flocks: a traditional permanent pasture flock (A) and one operating a system of clean grazing (B), and on an East of Scotland College flock (C) which had operated a clean grazing system for eight years. Ewe and lamb worm egg output, pasture larval levels and lamb liveweight gains were monitored and tracer lambs were grazed during July and August on each farm. Under clean grazing conditions on farm C all parasitological parameters were lower than on both commercial farms. However, in the commercial flocks comparable contamination was evident from midsummer onwards and tracer lambs grazed during August on farm B had significantly greater worm burdens than on the other two farms. The differences observed between the flocks were thought to be due to greater residual contamination by overwintered larvae in both commercial flocks while the higher worm burdens in August on farm B probably resulted partly from incomplete control of the periparturient rise in ewe faecal egg output and partly to autoinfection of the lamb crop. It was concluded that farm C grazing was the cleanest. Considerable contamination was present on farm A while farm B occupied an intermediate position which resulted in considerable worm burdens in lambs grazing during the latter part of the season.