Intensive rotational grazing assists control of gastrointestinal nematodosis of sheep in a cool temperate environment with summer-dominant rainfall

Colvin, A.F.; Walkden‐Brown, Stephen W.; Knox, Malcolm; Scott, J. M.

doi:10.1016/j.vetpar.2008.01.014

Cited by 37 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…Importantly, these effects were greatest when WEC and anthelmintic treatment numbers were highest, between 2003 and 2005, and this farmlet also did not have the haemonchosis-associated mortality observed in December 2004 on the other two farmlets. Working with a subset of the data from the present experiment, Colvin et al (2008) also reported this beneficial effect of IRG on worm control and in a later report (Colvin et al 2012) showed that the effect of IRG was mediated by reduced larval challenge on pastures rather than improved host resistance to nematode infection. Indeed sheep in the IRG treatment exhibited increased susceptibility to larval challenge in that study.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 52%

“…In the broadest terms Haemonchus appeared to have been most successful on farmlet B, Trichostrongylus on farmlet A and Teladorsagia on farmlet C. The lower proportion of Haemonchus seen on farmlet C probably reflects its greater susceptibility to lifecycle disruption by grazing management. As noted by Colvin et al (2008), it is likely that the rapid rotational grazing system of Barger et al (1994) under tropical conditions was effective against both H. contortus and Trichostrongylus spp. but that this was unlikely to be the case in the cool, temperate climate of the Northern Tablelands, which is more conducive to the survival and development of Trichostrongylus spp.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The background to the Cicerone Project and its design are detailed by Sutherland et al (2013) and Colvin et al (2008). Briefly the farmlet experiment was located on the CSIRO property, 'Chiswick', 18 km south of Armidale, NSW, Australia (950 m altitude 30 31 0 S, 151 39 0 E).…”

Section: Experimental Design and Locationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Healey et al (2004) examined the WEC data for the first 3 years of the experiment and reported that clear farmlet differences emerged in 2003, the third year of the experiment, with the main finding being reduced WEC and frequency of treatment on farmlet C. Colvin et al (2008), using monthly samples from lambs, hoggets and ewes over 2 years on each farmlet, demonstrated that IRG of farmlet C can indeed assist in the control of gastrointestinal nematodosis, especially where H. contortus is the most common parasite. A companion paper (Colvin et al 2012) reported that the observed effects of IRG were due to disruption of the parasite lifecycle outside of the host, rather than differences in host immunity.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Grazing systems and worm control in sheep: a long-term case study involving three management systems with analysis of factors influencing faecal worm egg count

et al. 2013

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Abstract. Managing infections of sheep with gastrointestinal nematode parasites (worms) and problems of resistance to anthelmintic treatments continue to be major challenges for graziers on the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia. The whole-farmlet study of grazing enterprises undertaken by the Cicerone Project tested the broad hypotheses that compared with typical management (farmlet B), internal parasites can be more effectively managed with improved nutrition (farmlet A) or by intensive rotational grazing (farmlet C). Further aims were to identify the major sources of variation in faecal worm egg count (WEC) over the 6-year period and to examine the efficacy of the various anthelmintic treatments used during the experiment. This paper describes the management of sheep worms at the whole-farmlet level during the experiment, and analyses data from the routine WEC monitoring (5644 records) and larval differentiation tests (322 records) carried out on behalf of the Cicerone Management Board and by a doctoral candidate. It complements more detailed investigations published elsewhere.Over the period from July 2000 to December 2006, worm infections in ewes, lambs, hoggets and wethers were, with some exceptions, successfully controlled on the farmlets through a combination of regular monitoring of WEC, treatment with a wide array of anthelmintics and grazing management. Farmlet C had lower mean WEC (444 epg) and annual anthelmintic treatment frequency (3.1 treatments/year) over the whole experimental period than farmlets B (1122 epg, 4.3 treatments/year) or A (1374 epg, 4.7 treatments/year). The main factors influencing WEC were the time since the last anthelmintic treatment, and the anthelmintic used at that treatment. The magnitude of these effects dwarfed those of climatic and management factors that might be expected to influence the epidemiology of gastrointestinal nematode infections via environmental or host-mediated mechanisms. Nevertheless management factors associated with stocking rate and grazed proportion (proportion of each farmlet grazed at any one time), and climatic indicators of both temperature and moisture availability had significant effects on WEC.The results show that, in a region with Haemonchus contortus as the major sheep nematode, improved host nutrition in a higher input system (farmlet A) did not provide more effective control of gastrointestinal nematodes than typical management (farmlet B); however, it was observed that gastrointestinal nematode control was no worse on farmlet A than on farmlet B in spite of farmlet A supporting a 48% higher stocking rate by later in the trial period (2005). The study provided strong support for the proposition that intensive rotational grazing (farmlet C) provides more effective control of gastrointestinal nematodes than typical management (farmlet B) as evidenced by significantly lower WEC counts and anthelmintic treatment frequency. Tactical worm control based on routine monitoring of WEC provided adequate control of worms on all three ...

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 52%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Experimental Design and Locationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Grazing systems and worm control in sheep: a long-term case study involving three management systems with analysis of factors influencing faecal worm egg count

et al. 2013

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“…* The changes in fleece characteristics between farmlets did not result in substantial differences in fleece values per head but, because of differences in stocking rate, wool production and thus wool value per hectare differed substantially (Cottle et al 2013). * Short grazing and long rest periods resulted in a decline in the numbers of Barber's pole worms in sheep leading to less reliance on anthelmintic drenches (Colvin et al 2008;Walkden-Brown et al 2013). * The detailed financial records which were kept of all input costs, including labour, and income allowed computation of gross margin and cash flow budgets as well as financial risk for each farmlet, which were then scaled up to allow comparisons relevant to commercial-scale whole farms .…”

Section: Some Results From the Farmlet Experiments Includementioning

confidence: 99%

Reflections on the concept, conduct and findings of the producer-led Cicerone Project

Coventry¹,

Sutherland²,

Waters

et al. 2013

Anim. Prod. Sci.

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Abstract. The Cicerone Project began as a producer-led partnership that sought, over a period of 8 years, to enhance the profitability and sustainability of livestock enterprises by improving the connection between those producers, research and extension. Following a detailed survey, the research and extension needs of livestock producers were identified and several applied investigations were conducted to meet those needs and delivered through a range of extension activities. This final paper of the Cicerone Special Issue reflects on the entire Project from a wide array of perspectives, including livestock producers, researchers, extension specialists and staff employed by the Project, all of whom are authors of this paper.A notable early successful outcome of the Project was the improved precision of footrot diagnosis, which has been of value to the entire sheep industry, and that flowed from a field investigation of benign and virulent footrot combined with detailed genetic investigations, which led to an improved testing regime. This paper also reflects on the findings of an unreplicated agricultural ecosystem research trial, which measured the impact of pasture renovation, increased soil fertility and grazing management on the profitability and sustainability of three different 53-ha farmlets. Valuable findings from this whole-farmlet trial included the need for a high quality feed supply for increasing stocking rate and animal liveweights; the ability and utility of satellite imagery to detect changes in pasture growth, composition and recent grazing pressure; the value of short grazing and long rest periods for controlling Barber's pole worms of sheep; the impact of increased stocking rates on whole-farm profitability and risk; methods of optimising decisions relating to pasture renovation, fertiliser applications and grazing management; and an integrated analysis of all key measured components of the farmlet management systems. Collectively, these findings were powerful as they were demonstrated at a scale credible to livestock producers using the 'compare -measure -learn -adopt' approach, which was the key philosophy adopted by the Cicerone Project.By comparing and measuring different whole-farm systems, and by ensuring that producers had ownership of the trial process, the Project successfully delivered objective findings that producers trusted and which increased our understanding of important drivers of complex grazing enterprises under variable climatic conditions. Some of these drivers included: the influence of soil phosphorus on botanical composition and subsequent livestock production, the role of pasture renovation and soil fertility on herbage supply, herbage quality and stocking rate, and the improved gastrointestinal nematode control delivered by intensive rotational grazing.The beneficiaries of the Project included the 180 farmer members who participated in some 61 field days and workshops; the research and extension collaborators including four postgraduates who completed their research in...

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2018

Veterinary Epidemiology

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Intensive rotational grazing assists control of gastrointestinal nematodosis of sheep in a cool temperate environment with summer-dominant rainfall

Cited by 37 publications

References 26 publications

Grazing systems and worm control in sheep: a long-term case study involving three management systems with analysis of factors influencing faecal worm egg count

Grazing systems and worm control in sheep: a long-term case study involving three management systems with analysis of factors influencing faecal worm egg count

Reflections on the concept, conduct and findings of the producer-led Cicerone Project

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