Original Research

Relative economic benefits of tactical anthelmintic treatment and urea-molasses block supplementation of Boer goats raised under extensive grazing conditions at Onderstepoort, Pretoria, South Africa

A.F. Vatta, R.C. Krecek, R.A. Pearson, M.F. Smith, M.O. Stenson, E.F. Van Wijk, L.J.S. Harrison
Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research | Vol 75, No 3 | a99 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/ojvr.v75i3.99 | © 2008 A.F. Vatta, R.C. Krecek, R.A. Pearson, M.F. Smith, M.O. Stenson, E.F. Van Wijk, L.J.S. Harrison | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 10 September 2008 | Published: 10 September 2008

About the author(s)

A.F. Vatta,
R.C. Krecek,
R.A. Pearson,
M.F. Smith,
M.O. Stenson,
E.F. Van Wijk,
L.J.S. Harrison,

Full Text:

PDF (212KB)

Abstract

The potential economic benefits of combining tactical anthelmintic treatment for gastrointestinal nematodes and nutritional supplementation with urea-molasses blocks were examined in Boer goats raised under extensive grazing conditions in the summer rainfall area of South Africa. Eight groups of nine goats were monitored over a 12-month period from 1 October 2002 to 9 October 2003. Ad libitum nutritional supplementation with urea-molasses blocks was provided when the goats were housed at night, during the summer (wet season -December 2002 to February 2003), and / or the winter (dry season -June 2003 to August 2003). All the goats were treated symptomatically for Haemonchus contortus infection when deemed necessary by clinical examination of the conjunctiva for anaemia using the FAMACHA© system. Half the groups were tactically treated for gastrointestinal nematodes in mid-summer (28 January 2003). Under the symptomatic treatment, climatic and extensive grazing conditions encountered during the trial, feed supplementation in the winter dry season had the greatest economic benefit and is therefore recommended. Tactical anthelmintic treatment afforded no additional advantage, but the nematode challenge was lo

Keywords

No related keywords in the metadata.

Metrics

Total abstract views: 3787
Total article views: 3869

 

Crossref Citations

1. The potential to control Haemonchus contortus in indigenous South African goats with copper oxide wire particles
A.F. Vatta, P.J. Waller, J.B. Githiori, G.F. Medley
Veterinary Parasitology  vol: 162  issue: 3-4  first page: 306  year: 2009  
doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2009.03.005