Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Booneville, Arkansas » Dale Bumpers Small Farms Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #170514
Title: EFFECTS OF FEEDING SERICEA LESPEDEZA HAY TO GOATS INFECTED WITH HAEMONCHUS CONTORTUS

Author
item SHAIK, S - FORT VALLEY STATE UNIV
item TERRILL, T - FORT VALLEY STATE UNIV
item MILLER, J - LOUISIANA STATE UNIV
item KOUAKOU, B - FORT VALLEY STATE UNIV
item KANNAN, G - FORT VALLEY STATE UNIV
item KAPLAN, R - UNIV OF GEORGIA
item Burke, Joan
item MOSJIDIS, J - AUBURN UNIV

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/1/2004
Publication Date: 3/1/2005
Citation: Shaik, S.A., Terrill, T.H., Miller, J.E., Kouakou, B., Kannan, G., Kaplan, R.M., Burke, J.M., Mosjidis, J.A. 2005. Effects of feeding sericea lespedeza hay to goats infected with haemonchus contortus. In: Novel Approaches to the Control of Helminth Parasites of Livestock 2005. Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. p. 37.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Grazing forages containing condensed tannins (CT), or mixing extracted CT in feed supplement has shown potential for reducing fecal egg count (FEC) in sheep and goats. The anthelmintic potential of sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata) hay was evaluated in an 11-week feeding trial using 4-month-old male Boer goats held in pens. All goats were given a small amount of supplement to balance diets for energy and protein. All goats were fed the bermudagrass diet during weeks 1-5 (pre-trial period), after which animals were fed either sericea or bermudagrass (control) for weeks 6-11 (trial period). All goats were inoculated with 500 Haemonchus contortus infective (L3) larvae three times a week during weeks 1-8. Blood packed cell volume (PCV) and FEC were recorded weekly. FEC was similar between treatment and control goats during the pre-trial period and significantly lower (P < 0.05) in sericea-fed animals throughout the 6-week trial period (avg. 79.7% reduction). In the pre-trial period, PCV was higher (P < 0.05) in control (27.2) than in treatment goats (24.3), but during the trial period, PCV was higher (P < 0.05) in the treatment than in the control group (23.1 vs. 19.7, respectively). Feeding sericea lespedeza hay to goats has potential to reduce effects of parasitic nematodes on animal health and to lower pasture contamination.