Effect of ‘Serala’ Sericea Lespedeza (Lespedeza Cuneata) Hay on Gastrointestinal Parasite Fecal Egg and Oocysts Counts and Packed Cell Volume in Goats

Abstract

Abstract Fifty-two naturally parasite-infected intact male Spanish goats 6–7 mo of age were used in a 6-wk trial to investigate effects of ‘Serala’ (SER) sericea lespedeza (SL; Lespedeza cuneata) on indicators of gastrointestinal parasitism. Goats were individually housed in 1.5 x 1.5 m pens. Treatments were pure SER (n = 18) or ‘AU-Grazer’ (AUG; n = 16) varieties of SL or bermudagrass hay (n = 18; CON) at 75% of the ration. A corn-soybean meal-based supplement (25% of the ration) ensured isonitrogenous (17% crude protein), isocaloric diets. Diets were fed to 10% orts. Treatments were assigned for similar initial group mean fecal egg count (FEC). At the start of the study (D 0) and weekly thereafter, FEC and coccidia oocyst counts (FOC) were conducted via a modified McMaster’s technique [eggs per gram (epg); oocysts per gram (opg)], and percentage packed red blood cell volume (PCV) was measured via microhematocrit centrifugation. Data were analyzed using a mixed model for repeated measures. There was a treatment by time interaction (P < 0.001) for FEC. In week 1, SER and AUG were lower (P < 0.02) than CON and were higher than control at week 6 (AUG tendency only, P < 0.10; SER, P < 0.02). The FOC were impacted by treatment (P < 0.008), averaging 1977 ± 945 opg for AUG (lowest, P < 0.01), 3558 ± 876 opg for SER and 4164 ± 955 opg for CON (SER and CON similar). Percentage PCV tended (P < 0.09) to be influenced by a treatment by time interaction in which AUG and SER were similar over time, while PCV for CON animals was lower (P < 0.03) than D 0 at all sampling points after the first week. Overall, there was no effect of SER on FEC or FOC and no effect of AUG on FEC, though PCV was maintained throughout the study for both SL treatments.