The role of yeast supplementation in small ruminants on rumen fermentation, animal performance, and nematode control is still unclear. The effect of Celmanax ® (yeast culture product) in two diets using lambs on body weight gain, rectal temperatures and nematode loads were monitored. 24 sheep (17 ± 2.8 kg BW), housed in individual pens, were divided into four treatments and fed on four basal diets; lucerne meal (LC), lucerne meal plus Celmanax ® (LCC), sunflower meal (SF), and 4 sunflower meal plus Celmanax (SFC), for 96 days including 14 days adaptation. Dry matter intake, average body weight gain and feed conversion efficiency were calculated. Rectal temperatures and nematode egg count/gram (EPG) were measured once a week. Feed intake was higher (P < 0.05) in LCC and SFC than in LC and SF, respectively. Overall, weight gain was higher in SFC (P < 0.05) than SF. Feed conversion efficiency was higher (P < 0.05) in LCC than LC. Nematode EPG were lower (P < 0.05) in Celmanax ® supplemented diets (LCC and SFC) than in their controls. Rectal temperatures dropped (P < 0.05) in Celmanax ® diets. These findings suggest that, Celmanax ® has the potential of improving animal performance and may be used in conjunction with other anthelmintics to control nematodes.

Nematode resistance to anthelmintic drugs is affecting small ruminant production in South Africa. This study evaluated the effect of wattle tannins as an alternative nematode control drench. Two experiments (Exp) were conducted to determine the effect of tannin concentration (Exp 1) and frequency of dosing (Exp 2) on nematode parasites. In each experiment gender, egg count (egg per gram, EPG) and initial live weight aided in blocking sheep into groups, within which they were randomly allocated to and drenched with different tannin treatments. In experiment one, 24 sheep (16 females and 8 males, aged 8-9 months) were placed into four treatment: 0, 0.8, 1.6 and 2.4 g tannin/kg BW; they were drenched for three consecutive days in a study that lasted for 21 days. In Experiment 2, 26 sheep (11 males and 15 females aged 9 to 18 months) were placed into three treatments of 9, 9, and 8 sheep each. These treatments were drenched with 1.6 g tannins/kg BW/day for one day, two or three days for the three treatments, respectively. For the two experiments, EPG were counted and L 3 larvae cultured and counted in individual feacal samples. In Exp one, for all tannin treatments, EPG decreased (P<0.05) over time and EPG consistently decreased with increasing tannin level, while efficacy increased (P<0.05) with tannin level. Dosing with 1.6 and 2.4g tannin /kg BW for 3 consecutive days had similar effects on the EPG. Dosing frequency showed that 1.6g tannin /kg BW for 3 consecutive days was enough to reduce EPG and reduce the degree of pasture contamination.