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Effect of Haemonchus contortus on productivity of ewes, lambs and weaners in a semi-arid environment

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

D. H. Cobon  and
B. M. O'Sullivan
D. H. Cobon
Affiliation:
Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Toorak Research Station, Julia Creek, Qld 4823, Australia
B. M. O'Sullivan
Affiliation:
Queensland Department of Primary Industries, GPO Box 46, Brisbane, Qld 4001, Australia
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Summary

Lactating ewes, ewes that had lambed but subsequently lost their lambs (dry) and weaners were either artificially infested with 2000–3000 third-stage Haemonchus contortus larvae (parasitized) or drenched with levamisole (treated) and run under extensive grazing conditions in north-west Queensland. Worm egg counts in parasitized lactating, dry and weaner sheep ranged from 860–2830 eggs per gram of faeces. These levels of infestation significantly (P < 0·01) reduced liveweight gain of all three sheep classes, milk yield of ewes and wool growth of weaners compared to their treated counterparts. The lower milk yield of the parasitized ewes significantly (P < 0·01) reduced lamb growth rate. Survival of lambs to weaning was 26% higher in the treated group. The experiments showed that moderate levels of H. contortus, that did not produce clinical signs of infestation, reduce productivity of sheep in this semi-arid environment.

Type
Animals
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 118 , Issue 2 , April 1992 , pp. 245 - 248
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1992

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