Effect of experimental fascioliasis on feed intake, nitrogen retention and body weight changes in open and pregnant Menz sheep

Hematological and biochemical changes in organically farmed sheep naturally infected with Fasciola hepatica

“…Although several studies observed no effect of fasciolosis on feed intake (Akinbamijo et al 1996) and BUN (Anderson et al 1977;Sykes et al 1980), our findings of significantly lower BUN compared with the noninfected sheep indicate a need for protein metabolism estimation during chronic fasciolosis. A significantly decreased creatinine concentration points to muscle loss caused by a deficiency of protein and is valuable in the prognosis of recovery from anemia.…”

Growth performance and nutrient utilisation in crossbred calves experimentally infected with F. gigantica and/or supplemented with deoiled mahua (Bassia latifolia) seed cake

“…Trickle infection with 200 mc of F. gigantica did not lower feed intake in infected calves. This is in agreement to the reports of Hope Cawdery et al (1977) and Akinbamijo et al (1996) in subclinical fasciolosis of cattle and sheep, respectively. The reduction in appetite was a common observation in fasciolosis induced by heavy dose single infection (Mehra et al, 1999).…”

“…However, in the present study, inappetance as measured by difference in DMI, between infected and control groups was minimal. Therefore, lower feed conversion efficiency of infected crossbred calves was the reason for lower body weight gain as suggested by Hope Cawdery et al (1977) and Akinbamijo et al (1996). Irrespective of low or high flukes burden, feed conversion efficiency of parasitized ruminants is substantially depressed as measured from low body weight gain without concomitant reduction in feed intake or feed digestibility (Hawkins and Morris, 1978).…”

“…The nutrient utilisation and growth performance of host in response to trickle infection, which usually results in subclinical infection, had not been investigated thoroughly. The studies on interaction of fasciolosis and nutrient utilisation are pertained to heavy dose single infection (Akinbamijo et al, 1996;Berry and Dargie, 1976;Hope Cawdery et al, 1977;Mehra et al, 1999).…”

“…It has been associated with significant morbidity and grave economic losses (Spithill et al, 1999) by causing a decrease in growth rate, reproductive performance, milk and wool production. The impaired animal productivity arises as a result of reduced feed intake and poor feed conversion efficiency of animals (Akinbamijo et al, 1996;Mehra et al, 1999). The nutrient utilisation and growth performance of host in response to trickle infection, which usually results in subclinical infection, had not been investigated thoroughly.…”