The effects of feeding sericea lespedeza hay on growth rate of goats naturally infected with gastrointestinal nematodes1

Abstract

Goat production is increasing in the United States due to high ethnic demand, but infection with gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) parasites is a major constraint to the industry. Increasing GIN resistance to chemical anthelmintics worldwide has led to the development of alternative control strategies, including use of forages containing condensed tannins (CT). An experiment was designed using infected and dewormed male kids (Kiko x Spanish, 6 mo old, 18.9 +/- 3.25 kg) fed diets containing 25% concentrate and either 75% sericea lespedeza [SL; Lespedeza cuneata (Dum-Cours.) G. Don], a high CT forage (87 to 181 g of CT/kg), or 75% bermudagrass [BG; Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] hay (n = 10/treatment). The kids were weighed every 14 d, and fecal and blood samples were taken weekly for fecal egg counts and packed cell volume determination, respectively. Fecal cultures were processed every 14 d to determine CT effect on larval development. At slaughter, adult GIN were collected from the abomasum and small intestines for counting and speciation. Blood samples were also analyzed for plasma urea-N, and ruminal VFA and pH were determined. The infected SL-fed kids had consistently lower (P < 0.05) fecal egg counts than the infected BG goats throughout the trial and greater (P < 0.05) packed cell volume beginning by d 77. Average daily gain was greater (P < 0.001) in kids fed SL- than BG-based diets, regardless of infection status (104.3 +/- 5.0 and 75.5 +/- 4.8 g/d, respectively). Total VFA and acetate concentrations were greater (P < 0.001) in the BG- than in SL-fed goats, whereas propionate levels were unaffected by diet. Acetate:propionate ratio (P = 0.01) and plasma urea-N (P = 0.03) levels were greater in BG-fed goats, whereas rumen pH was greater (P < 0.001) in the SL-fed goats. Feeding SL hay can reduce GIN infection levels and increase performance of goats compared with BG hay.

Effect of condensed tannins supplementation through leaf meal mixture on voluntary feed intake, immune response and worm burden in Haemonchus contortus infected sheep

“…The present findings are in agreement with the previous report (Sokerya and Preston 2003), who reported that dietary supplementation of CT may be used as an alternative parasite management strategy. Moore et al (2008) reported that feeding SL hay can reduce FEC and increase performance of goats compared with Bermuda grass (BG) hay. The effect of reduced GIN infection levels in kids fed SL hay confirms the reports with sheep and goats fed this forage in different dried forms (Shaik et al 2006;Lange et al 2006).…”

Potential use of heather to control gastrointestinal nematodes in goats

“…Recently, the number of reports showing the anthelmintic effect of CT rich plants on goats, naturally and experimentally infected by GI nematodes, has increased. As previously described for sheep, a reduction in egg excretion and in fecundity of the female worms have been reported in goats fed bioactive plants such as sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia, Hoste et al, 2005a;Paolini et al, 2003bPaolini et al, , 2005b, sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata, Min et al, 2004Min et al, , 2005Moore et al, 2008;Shaik et al, 2006;Terrill et al, 2007Terrill et al, , 2009, sulla (Hedysarum coronarium, Pomroy and Adlington, 2006), and Viscum verrocosum (Madibela and Jansen, 2003). These results were obtained in trials where goats were naturally or experimentally infected by GI nematodes, but under controlled conditions.…”

Effects of dietary protein supplementation and plane of nutrition on the resistance and the resilience of Boer goats against artificial Haemonchus contortus infection under confined conditions

“…It also has been reported that tannin-rich plants do not have an effect on LW (Kahiya et al, 2003;Osoro et al, 2007), blood parameters (Kahiya et al, 2003;Terrill et al, 2007;Terrill et al, 2009;Whitley et al, 2009), and milk production (Hoste et al, 2005a) and milk concentrations of fat, protein or lactose (Min et al, 2005). However, these finding are not consistent with the results of other studies such as Min et al, (2005), Shaik et al, (2006), Moore et al, (2008), and Osoro et al, (2009). The deviations between studies in goats may come from differences in the concentration and the structure of the condensed tannins present in the different plant species, the structure and chemical characteristics of condensed tannins, parasite species, developmental stages of parasites, quality of feed exposure to tannins (Brunet et al, 2008), environmental conditions and host species Alonso-Díaz et al, 2010).…”

“…Signs of copper toxicity are not apparent in growing goats supplemented with 100 mg/day of copper or less (NRC 2007). In comparing sheep and goats with regard to their susceptibility to copper toxicity, goats are less susceptible than sheep (Burke and Miller 2008). This difference is likely to be related to their ability to absorb, store copper in the liver, and then clear it from their body .…”

“…In regards to the use of tanniferous plants and condensed tannins to control GINs, a variety of tanniferous plants and tannin extracts have been tested such as Acacia karoo and A. nilotica (Kahiya et al, 2003), big trefoil (Lotus pedunculatus) and birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) (Marley et al, 2003;Heckendorn et al, 2007), cassava forage (Sokerya and Preston 2003), sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) (Paolini et al, 2003b;Hoste et al, 2005a;Paolini et al, 2005;Heckendorn et al, 2006;Manolaraki et al, 2010), Sericea lespedeza (Min et al, 2004;Shaik et al, 2004;Min et al, 2005;Shaik et al, 2006;Terrill et al, 2007;Moore et al, 2008), sulla (Hedysarum coronarium) (Niezen et al, 2002;Pomroy and Adlington 2006), heather (Osoro et al, 2007;Frutos et al, 2008;Osoro et al, 2009), Lysiloma latisiliquum (Brunet et al, 2008;Martínez-Ortíz-de-Montellano et al, 2010), Lespedeza cuneata (Lange et al, 2006;Terrill et al, 2009), quebracho extract (Paolini et al, 2003a;Paolini et al, 2003c), condensed tannin cracked grain sorghum (Whitley et al, 2009), and wattle tannin (Max et al, 2009;Max 2010) with experimentally GIN infected or naturally infected goats. It is obviously from these studies that tannins could have detrimental effects on development into L3 larvae, establishment of GIN infective larvae, worm fecundity, and worm burden in goats.…”