Controlling internal parasites in goats

Researchers of the Small Ruminants Center at the Central Luzon State University have found that internal parasites in goats can be effectively reduced by allowing them to graze in one area for only three to four days.

This practice, called rapid rotational grazing, can save raisers from the cost of medicine for killing the internal parasites in the goats, which is technically called anthelmintics. With the current prices of medicine nowadays, the cost of anthelmintics for 20 goats could run to P2,000 in a year.

The amount of P1,620 was saved through rapid rotational grazing and strategic deworming at the time of the experiment four years ago.

Internal parasites in goats can cause heavy damage to raisers, as these can inflict heavy deaths among newly born kids and goats beyond three months old. Deworming with anthelmintics is a recommended management practice when the egg count in the feces, called fecal egg count [FEC], is more than 1,000.

The researchers compared the level of parasitism in goats under rapid rotational grazing with that of a set stock group, which was allowed free access to a pasture area that was not subdivided into paddocks. Each group of 20 goats used two hectares of pasture.

They controlled the grazing behavior of the goats under rapid rotational grazing by allowing them to graze in a pasture area, called paddock, for three to four days and moved them regularly to another paddock thereafter.

In contrast, the set stock group was allowed free access to another two-hectare pasture area, which was not subdivided into paddocks.

All the goats were heavily infested with internal parasites before the study and were given anthelmintics one month before they were moved to the experimental pastures.

Anthelmintics were administered to the goats in the set stock group six times more during the experiment because their FEC was more than 1,000 in August, October, November, December, February, and June.

On the other hand, the goats in the rapid rotational grazing group were no longer dewormed during the experimental period because their FEC was below the critical level of 1,000. This technique is called strategic deworming.

By moving the goats to another paddock after every three to four days, the life cycle of the internal parasites is broken as the incubation period of their eggs in the pasture is five to seven days. By the time the eggs hatch, there will be no more goats in the paddock and, hence, the worms would no longer infect the animals.

The researchers also observed that temperature, rainfall and relative humidity are correlated with the degree of parasitism in goats and sheep. Apparently, they said, temperature has a stronger influence on the development of internal parasites, also called endoparasites, in small ruminants. — Sosimo Ma. Pablico