Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Booneville, Arkansas » Dale Bumpers Small Farms Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #263785
Title: Dose titration of sericea lespedeza leaf meal on Haemonchus contortus infection in lambs and kids

Author
item Burke, Joan
item WHITLEY, N - North Carolina Agricultural And Technical State University
item POLLARD, D - Louisiana State University
item MILLER, J - Louisiana State University
item TERRILL, T - Fort Valley State University
item MOULTON, K - North Carolina Agricultural And Technical State University
item MOSJIDIS, J - Auburn University

Submitted to: Veterinary Parasitology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/3/2011
Publication Date: 9/27/2011
Citation: Burke, J.M., Whitley, N.C., Pollard, D.A., Miller, J.E., Terrill, T.H., Moulton, K.E., Mosjidis, J.A. 2011. Dose titration of sericea lespedeza leaf meal on Haemonchus contortus infection in lambs and kids. Veterinary Parasitology. 181(2-4):345-349.

Interpretive Summary: Control of gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) by small ruminant producers is difficult because of the prevalence of blood sucking internal parasites and resistance of these parasites to available dewormers. Sericea lespedeza (SL) is a plant that grows in the southeastern U.S. and produces condensed tannins with anthelmintic properties, but it can be difficult to manage for grazing. Scientists at USDA, ARS in Booneville, AR, North Carolina A&T State University, Louisiana State University, Auburn University, and Fort Valley State University, GA determined that dried SL as loose or pellets did not reduce a parasite infection in lambs, but reduced it in meat goat kids. This information is important to organic and conventional small ruminant producers, extension agents, and scientists aiming to find alternative methods to control gastrointestinal nematodes.

Technical Abstract: The objective of three experiments was to determine the impact of supplementing sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata; SL) in three concentrations in a loose or pelleted diet on gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) in small ruminants. Experiments on lambs were conducted at the USDA, Agricultural Research Service in Booneville, AR (Exp. 1) and at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA (Exp. 2); an experiment on goat kids occurred at University of Maryland-Eastern Shore (Exp. 3). Exp. 1 used crossbred hair sheep lambs naturally infected with GIN that were randomly allocated to diets containing 0, 25, 50, and 75% SL diets (n = 11 or 12/diet). Exp. 2 consisted of Haemonchus contortus-inoculated crossbred wool breed lambs that were blocked by gender and FEC and randomly assigned to 0, 25, 50, or 75% SL diet (n = 8/diet). Fecal egg counts (FEC) and blood packed cell volume (PCV) were not influenced by SL supplementation in Exp. 1 and 2. Exp. 3 consisted of naturally GIN infected Boer crossbred goat kids in individual pens. Kids were blocked by FEC and randomly allotted to treatments of 0, 20, 40, or 60% SL with 9 to 13 goats/diet. The more SL fed, the greater the reduction in FEC (P < 0.001). There was an increase in PCV in SL fed goats (P < 0.001). Larval speciation at the end of the experiment indicated that feces from control animals produced 43% H. contortus larva while 20, 40 and 60% SL resulted in 39%, 35% and 31% H. contortus larvae, respectively. Feeding dried SL may be less effective in lambs than kids, though concurrent studies must be conducted to confirm this.