Parasite Management - OSU Seminars (Goats & Sheep) - F.D. notes pg10

[elevan]

If this is your first time reading this thread - please start by reading the condensed version: http://www.backyardherds.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2607-parasite-mgmt

I've decided to attend a series of programs put on by my extension office. The first one begins tonight. They focus specifically on goats and sheep in this...although most of the talk and studies revolve around sheep I am told that I can apply most or all of it to goats as well.

They talked about the new class of medicine that has been approved in New Zealand and Australia but are unsure of when it will be available in the US. And were cautioning that if we gain access to this new medicine that if we were to use it as we have the current classes that we've had for the past 40 years then we would develop a resistance to it in as little as 3-5 years! So their focus is to develop management skills and techniques that will change the producers way of doing things and hopefully lessen the damage that we've already done with the overuse of chemical dewormers.


About the course:

A series of evening programs followed by a field day that will explore parasite biology, management of drug resistant worms, and various grazing strategies (including use of chicory & other plants) to help control worms.

From their newsletter:

Internal parasite control continues to be one of the most important and difficult to manage health issues for sheep and goat farmers. Traditional control strategies involving preventive or suppressive treatments with dewormers have led to widespread resistance of parasites to the drugs we currently have available.

Over the last several years several Extension Educators, researchers, and farmers in Ohio and West Virginia have been involved in various projects to develop or demonstrate strategies to assist in controlling internal parasites. During the last two years we have been funded by a North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education grant to determine whether forage chicory might have activity against internal parasites under conditions typical of farms in our region. We have learned a lot about chicory and made some very interesting observations about parasite survival over winter and during summer grazing as well as the potential use of non-traditional grazing strategies. This summer we will offer a series of three internet-based meetings followed by a field day at one of our project farms to discuss and demonstrate parasite biology, management of drug resistant worms, and various grazing strategies, including use of chicory and other plants, to help control worms.

About the Field Day:

At the field day attendees will have a chance to receive hands-on FAMACHA training, learn about using non-traditional forages in a grazing program for managing parasitism, and see examples of various forages and fencing options.

The entire process should be interesting and I am especially interested in the Field Day, when they will be offering FAMANCHA training and of course I'll get my first taste of lamb

About the classes:

Basic Parasite Biology and Control Concepts

life cycle description focusing on H. contortus
why/how dewormer resistance develops
concept of refugia and selective treatment; the FAMACHA System
complementary strategies:
plants with antiparasitic properties
use of clean pastures
dry lot rearing of lambs
Presenter Dr. Bill Shulaw

Parasite Management: Lessons Learned and Farmer Applications

This discussion will incorporate lessons learned from the 2009/2010 North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education grant and previous projects using various grazing strategies. We will highlight why some strategies may or may not work or where their weak points are (overwintered larvae; larval survival during the grazing season; intensive grazing approaches):
use of annuals or alfalfa for lambs or lambs and ewes in spring
strip grazing with a back fence
chicory and BMR use
selective deworming of thin, triplet-bearing, and twin-bearing ewes to reduce pasture contamination
Presenters Curt Cline & Rory Lewandowski

Management Tools and Techniques

Using the FAMACHA system (when to start, frequency, using in large flocks, using as an animal selection tool, keeping records)
What do fecal egg counts tell us?
How to detect dewormer resistance
Worm egg count reduction testing
DrenchRite Assay
Presenter Dr. Bill Shulaw

 

[ksalvagno]

I'm attending it as well. Also signed up for the field day in Wooster on Aug 27. I'm looking forward to it.

 

[ksalvagno]

Elevan - did the handout attachment come through for you? There was no attachment on my email.

 

[Snowhunter]

I'm interested to see what you report back w/El!!!

Our Extenstion is putting one on here, but it was too pricey for us to attend

 

[ksalvagno]

This one is free except for the field day. The field day is a whopping $15.

 

[cmjust0]

Two points:

1) It's impossible to "graze" chicory because it's not grass -- it's browse.
2) Browsing instead of grazing has *always* been a way to help prevent parasite problems in goats.

Not sure how that could be a new discovery..

Having said that, I'd be really interested to hear about their "interesting observations about parasite survival over winter," considering I've been harping on a certain aspect of this for a couple years now.. The way a barberpole overwinters (in the host -- not on the ground!) is the only real chink I've been able to find in the venerable barberpole's armor.. That is to say, they're at their lowest numbers and highest concentrations when they're overwintering *inside* the herd itself.. Once ya figure that out, controlling them should really just be a matter of finding *something* that will effect a high rate of kill on dormant larvae.

Pretty simple, really.. Or should be, anyway..

And just for the record, if they come out there and say "...so when we get these new drugs from Aus and NZ, we advise using them in the dead of winter to kill the dormant larvae of barberpole worms..." I'm going to be firstly amazed that someone else actually figured it out, and secondly, a little irritated that I've had my thunder stolen..

 

[elevan]

Karen - I just found out about it a little while ago. The first one is being held live in Morrow County...so I'm just going in person. The next 2 I'll attend via internet and then the Field Day of course will be in person.

And yeah, the first 3 are free and the field day is $15.00

 

[ksalvagno]

I signed up about a week ago but can't make it to any of the places so I will be on the internet. I'm hoping that they will resend the handouts. I would hate to miss out.

 

[ksalvagno]

http://vet.osu.edu/extension/sare/parasite_control

CM - here is the link. I bet you could still join and listen to the last 2 seminars.

 

[Beekissed]

Two points:

1) It's impossible to "graze" chicory because it's not grass -- it's browse.
2) Browsing instead of grazing has *always* been a way to help prevent parasite problems in goats.

Not sure how that could be a new discovery..

I don't know that it is a new discovery, as it has been on the Sheep 101 site for quite some time, I imagine. It sounds as if a ruminant can indeed "graze" chicory....

Alternative ForagesSome pasture plants have anthelmintic properties, such as those containing condensed tannins. Research has shown that sheep grazing tannin-rich forages have lower fecal egg counts than animals grazing traditional grass pastures. The tannins may also decrease the hatch rate of worm eggs and larval development in feces.

Forage species which contain high levels of condensed tannins include sericea lespedeza, birdsfoot trefoil, and chicory. Sericea lespedeza is a warm, season legume. Birdsfoot trefoil is a long-lived perennial legume. Chicory is a low-growing, leafy perennial. Generally speaking, trees and shrubs contain higher levels of tannins than pasture grasses, and tropical legumes contain more condensed tannins than temperate legumes./////