Abstract
An evaluation was made of the effect of anthelmintic treatments on the performance of Simmental X Nellore crossbred calves before and after weaning. To this end, the calves were divided into three groups: (1) treated monthly with a low efficacy anthelmintic drug, ivermectin; (2) treated monthly with a highly effective anthelmintic drug, albendazole; and (3) untreated control group. All the groups in this experiment showed an average fecal egg count of less than 400 eggs per gram (EPG), and no clinical signs of parasitic gastroenteritis. The blood variables were within the normal range and no calf presented anemia. In most of the samplings, mean EPGs were significantly lower (P<0.05) in the group treated with albendazole. The calves received dietary supplementation before and after weaning, which enabled them to gain weight in every month of the experiment and reach a body weight of about 250 kg on the last sampling date, before turning one year old. The anthelmintic treatments did not affect body weight gain, leading to the conclusion that, when fed with suitable dietary supplements, Simmental X Nellore crossbred calves are not affected by gastrointestinal nematode parasites acquired by grazing.
Highlights
Brazil has more than 214 million heads of cattle (ABIEC, 2019), placing the country among the leaders in the sector, with the world’s second largest cattle inventory and the world’s largest beef exporter
The body weight gain of young cattle may be affected by the interaction of several factors, such as genetic background, sanitary conditions and environmental factors, especially those pertaining to nutritional quality (Pathak, 2017; Fachiolli et al, 2017)
The group treated with ivermectin showed similar percentages of genera, except for H. similis and Trichostrongylus, which were never identified in this group (Table 1)
Summary
Brazil has more than 214 million heads of cattle (ABIEC, 2019), placing the country among the leaders in the sector, with the world’s second largest cattle inventory and the world’s largest beef exporter. Cattle productivity presents losses due to parasitism caused by flies, ticks and endoparasites, with annual losses of more than billion US dollars (Grisi et al, 2014). The body weight gain of young cattle may be affected by the interaction of several factors, such as genetic background, sanitary conditions and environmental factors, especially those pertaining to nutritional quality (Pathak, 2017; Fachiolli et al, 2017). Gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) infections play an important role in the losses attributed to parasitic diseases in cattle. In Central Brazil, pioneering investigations into losses due to GIN infections in young Zebu or Zebu X European crossbred cattle were conducted in the 1970s. In Mato Grosso, Melo & Bianchin (1977) showed that Zebu calves strategically treated four times per year (mid-May, mid-July, mid-September and mid-December) with broad-spectrum anthelmintics (tetramisole) gained significantly more weight (43.3±11 kg) than untreated animals
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