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Title: THE EFFECT OF QUEBRACHO TANNIN SUPPLEMENTATION ON GROWTH AND PARASITISM IN YOUNG GOATS AND HAIR SHEEP GRAZING PARASITE-INFECTED PASTURE

Author
item WILDEUS, S - VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY
item ZAJAC, A - VIRGINIA TECH
item Turner, Kenneth
item COLLINS, J - VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: Journal of Animal Science
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/15/2003
Publication Date: 2/14/2004
Citation: Wildeus, S., Zajac, A.M., Turner, K.E., Collins, J.R. 2004. The effect of quebracho tannin supplementation on growth and parasitism in young goats and hair sheep grazing parasite-infected pasture. Journal of Animal Science Abstracts. 2004 ASAS Southern Meeting. 82(Supplement 1):29.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: There is an increasing need to identify alternatives to commercial anthelmintics for use in integrated control programs. Condensed tannins have been associated with anthelminic activity in some studies, but an earlier experiment in our lab suggested that quebracho condensed tannin (QT) fed at 2.5% DM intake had no effect on fecal egg counts (FEC) in weaned goats experimentally infected with Haemonchus contortus larvae. This experiment evaluated accetability of a 5% DM QT intake in goats and sheep, and its effect on gastrointestinal parasitism when grazing naturally infected pasture. Crossbred female goat kids (n=16) and hair sheep (n=32) were allocated to a control and treatment group by species, and placed on a native grass pasture (1.6 ha) divided into two units. Each group received a daily supplement of cracked corn/soybean meal/molasses (17% CP) containing either 0% (fed at 1% BW) or 18% quebracho tannin (fed at 1.22% BW). Body weights, FEC, packed blood cell volume (PCV), and pre-prandial plasma blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, and glucose levels were recorded at 14-d intervals for 56 d. Data were analyzed for effects of QT and species on BW change, FEC (after log conversion), PCV, and blood metabolites. There was no effect of QT (P >.05) on BW, FEC, and PCV, but BUN was lower (18.2 vs 19.1 mg/dl; P<.01), and creatinine higher (0.61 vs 0.57 mg/dl; P<.001) in QT than control animals. Sheep maintained a higher PCV (29.6 vs 25.0%; P<.001) and lower FEC (613 vs 1062 eggs/g; P<.001) than goats. There was incomplete consumption of the QT supplement towards the end of the experiment, and necropsy of two lambs from each treatment group suggested a mucosal thickening of the colon in QT animals. Results indicate that a commercial form of condensed tannin fed at 5% of DM intake had no effect on gastrointestinal parasitism.