Parasite control for small ruminant production
1996
Beriajaya (Balai Penelitian Veteriner, Bogor (Indonesia)) | Batubara, A.
Small ruminants are important livestock, especially for smallholder farmers in Southeast Asia. These animals serve as a source of readily available cash and produce meat, manure and skin. One of major constraints of small ruminant production is parasite infections. Chronic infections occur throughout the year due to high humidity and temperatures in tropical countries. Several infections agents such as nematodes (Haemonchus contortus, Trichostrongylus spp. and Oesophagostomum spp.), trematodes (Fasciolla spp. and Eurytrema pancreaticum) and coccidial protozoa (Eimeria spp.) occurring together can result in clinical symptoms of decreased weight gain and death. It is calculated that about 30 percent of reduced weight gain and about 10 percent of the mortality seen in small ruminants in the tropics are caused by gastrointestinal parasite infections. Another important parasite, especially in goats, is Sarcoptes scabiei which infects the skin. Control of diseases is usually based on chemical treatments which have disadvantages such as drug resistance. Reducing the number of treatments and subsequent changes of drugs each year are used to avoid drug resistance. Other methods of control are improving the management of feeding and housing. Both nutrition and parasitism are important aspects when speaking of constraints to small ruminant production. Improving animal nutrition by introducing legumes and feed supplements into the diet may lead to reduced occurrence of infections. Rotational grazing is one alternative control method which can be applied by smallholder farmers if animals are introduced under rubber and oil palm plantations. One other aspect of control measures is the introduction of breed resistance. At present, no conclusion can be reached on whether indigenous or crossbred animals are more resistant than exotic breeds of sheep. It would appear, by examining results of a long challenge of infections, that local breeds of sheep are more resistance to gastrointestinal nematodes
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