Horn fly, Haematobia irritans (L.), populations were controlled on yearling cattle (n = 246) during the grazing season at moderate levels (68% control) with the use of organophosphate- and pyrethroid-impregnated ear tags. Weight gains of treated cattle during the 3-yr period were 17% greater than for untreated cattle. Results from this study demonstrated that yearling cattle of 25 or 50% Brahman, Bos indicus, breeding responded with improved animal performance in Louisiana when moderate horn fly control was achieved.

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Anthelmintic trails, conducted with albendazole, fenbendazole and ivermectin for efficacy against gastrointestinal nematodes, principally inhibited early fourth larval stages of Ostertagia ostertagi in naturally infected cattle. Cattle wee slaughtered seven to 20 days after treatment. O ostertagi was the predominant abomasal nematode recovered with occasional small numbers of Haemonchus species and Trichostrongylus axei. Control calves uniformly had very large O ostertagi infections, primarily early fourth stage larvae. Viable surviving worms and variable numbers of dead and degenerate worms were recovered in abomasal contents and washings. These O ostertagi larvae and adults were characterised by adherent debris or proteinaceous material, degenerated cuticles and distortion of internal structures. This study demonstrated the necessity for proper timing of slaughter for anthelmintic trial evaluation to allow clearance of dead nematodes, specifically O ostertagi larvae which are sequestered in the abomasal glandular tissue. Nematode collection within seven to 12 days after treatment will include dead and degenerate larval nematodes. The peripheral coating of larvae was suggestive of the Splendore-Hoeppli effect which has been associated with immunological responsiveness. The antigenic stimulus for this material and the lymphocyte and eosinophil infiltration was suspected to be early fourth stage O ostertagi larvae within the mucosa but was not identified definitively.