'Targeted' and 'targeted selective treatments' in goats: Evaluation of several decision criteria and development of a practical decision key

摘要

The aim of the study was to get an overview of control measures against gastrointestinal nematodes in goats in Switzerland. Based on the answers to a questionnaire, we assessed the readiness of owners to use targeted or targeted selective treatment, and to develop a practical decision tool for the indication of treatment of individual animals. The results show that the number of treatments per year decreased compared to previous studies. Furthermore, the survey shows that a large proportion of goat farmers (73.9%) is willing to change the present treatment strategy. A simple decision key based on the evaluation of body condition, the consistency of the faeces and the degree of the anaemia (FAMACHA (c)) was tested in a field survey. It could be shown that goat owners are able to carry out the simple protocol reliably on their own and correctly evaluate individuals regarding their need of treatment.