Effect of mixed grazing of suckler cows and lambs on faecal egg counts and animal performance

摘要

Because of high economic losses to sheep and cattle producers there is a growing need to investigate the effects of different grazing strategies on internal parasites in ruminants. This experiment was conducted over two successive years (2003 and 2004) to study the effects of grazing cultivated pasture (mainly timothy/meadow fescue/red clover) by suckler cows, either alone or together with lambs, on the faecal egg counts and animal performance. Eight Hereford suckler cow-calf pairs alone, and eight suckler cow-calf pairs together with 45 male Finnsheep lambs, grazed rotationally in two replicates from the beginning of June to the end of August. Each replication consisted of 4.2 hectares of pasture in three paddocks. The animals were not treated withanthelmintics. Faecal sampling for parasitological examinations was individually done on a monthly basis during weighing. Eggs were analysed per gram of faeces (epg) using the modified McMaster flotation method. Mixed grazing which increased the stocking rate by 21% had no negative effect on the prevalence or intensity of parasitosis. Both calves and cows grazing alone had higher live weight gains than those in the mixed grazing. However, the mixed system resulted in 120 kg ha~(-1) higher total meat production.