Feed intake of grazing calves exposed to trichostrongyle infection and treated with the morantel sustained release bolus.
Herbage intake was measured in two groups of 20 first-year grazing cattle. The animals in one group each received a morantel sustained release bolus at turnout to control nematode parasitism and the animals in the other group remained untreated. The latter group showed a mean peak faecal egg count of 655 eggs per gram (e.p.g.) in October associated with high serum pepsinogen concentration and clinical signs of ostertagiasis, compared with a peak of 119 e.p.g. in the treated group which remained in good health. In September the daily voluntary feed intake of the untreated animals was significantly depressed (94 g kg-1 body weight vs. 77 g kg-1 P less than 0.001), but no difference in digestive efficiency was recorded between the two groups. This difference in feed intake was associated with a 47 kg mean live weight advantage of the treated animals at housing.
Bell
S L
SL
Department of Agriculture, University, Newcastle upon Tyne, Gt. Britain.
Thomas
R J
RJ
Ferber
M T
MT
D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004063:Digestion; D004435:Eating; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D009015:Morantel / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010028:Ostertagia / Q000254:growth & development; D010029:Ostertagiasis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012621:Seasons; D014251:Trichostrongyloidea / Q000254:growth & development; D014252:Trichostrongyloidiasis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D014254:Trichostrongylus / Q000254:growth & development
D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D011743:Pyrimidines; D009015:Morantel