RT Journal Article
T1 Effects of heather and oat supplementation on gastrointestinal nematode infections and performance of grazing Cashmere goats
A1 Celaya, R.
A1 Ferreira, L.M.M.
A1 Moreno Gonzalo, Javier
A1 Frutos, P.
A1 Hervás, G.
A1 Ferré Pérez, Ignacio
A1 García, U.
A1 Ortega Mora, Luis Miguel
A1 Osoro, K.
AB This work aimed to evaluate the effects of tannin-containing heather (Calluna vulgaris, Erica spp.) and energy (oats, Avena sativa) supplementation, combined or not, on feed intake, gastrointestinal nematode infections and performance of goats grazing mountain grasslands. Two successive experiments were established across one grazing season on four paddocks. The first (late April to early August, Period 1) involved two treatments, i.e., supplementation with heather (+H) vs. non-supplementation (−H), each randomly allocated to two paddocks. The second (mid-August to mid-November, Period 2) consisted on four treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial design, i.e., supplementation with heather and oats (+H+O), only heather (+H−O), only oats (−H+O), and no supplementation (−H−O). Results from Period 1 indicated that faecal nematode egg counts (FEC) were lower in +H goats (50% less in August), achieving more favourable live weight (LW) and body condition changes than −H goats. Total dry matter intake (DMI) in June was similar between treatments, with heather accounting for 0.21 of +H goat diets. Kids FEC and LW gains were not affected by heather supplementation. In Period 2, both heather and oat supplementation reduced FEC (45 and 61%, respectively) and improved goat performance, without an interaction between both factors. Total DMI in October was higher in +H+O compared to other treatments (48 vs. 30 g DM kg LW−0.75 d−1; P < 0.01). Rumen ammonia concentration was lower (P < 0.001) in +H than in −H goats, and in +O than in −O goats, whereas that of volatile fatty acids (VFA) was not affected by treatments, though the molar proportions of some VFA were modified. It is concluded that the combination of both supplements (tannins and energy) contributes to reduce gastrointestinal nematode parasitism and increases goat performance, allowing a lower dependence on conventional chemotherapy.
PB Elsevier
SN 0921-4488
YR 2010
FD 2010-07
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/100561
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/100561
LA eng
NO Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA) - Proyecto RTA2007-00098
DS Docta Complutense
RD 1 sept 2024