Parasite loads of beef cattle in a rotationally grazed closed herd.

摘要

No matter what producers do, internal parasite populations cannot be completely eradicated from their herds. Therefore producers need to formulate new plans to help animals become less affected by the parasites. Over time cows seem to develop some natural resistance to the parasites. To help control parasite populations, some producers have started rotationally grazing their cattle, while others choose to use anthelmintics. Still other producers are using a combination of these ideas. Regardless of which method is used, parasite control is essential.;Signs of parasitism vary depending on the degree of infection. Some cows will not show any signs, while others may lose weight, have a rough hair coat, or possibly even die. In this study, fecal examinations were done on 24 cows, heifers, and steers on two farms every two weeks for three months. The goal was to see if there was a statistically significant difference between the parasite loads of 1-2 year old cattle in Henry County, Tennessee versus 3-7 year old cattle in Graves County, Kentucky. Parasites were also identified in order to help the producer eliminate them. All cows in this study were managed in the same manner by the same producer.;Results revealed a statistically significant difference (p < .05). Cows in the Henry County herd had a lighter parasite load. This could be due to Henry County having more forage availability or because calves were younger and smaller than those in Graves County.;Information gathered from this study will help producers decide how to graze their cattle for optimum parasite resistance and learn what signs to look for in regard to parasitism.