Voluntary intake of a medicated feed block by grazing sheep is increased by gastrointestinal nematode infection

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Contents Vol 52(12)

doi:10.1071/AN12104

Food, Fibre and Pharmaceuticals from Animals

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Voluntary intake of a medicated feed block by grazing sheep is increased by gastrointestinal nematode infection

F. J. Fishpool ^A ^C, L. P. Kahn ^A, D. J. Tucker ^B, J. V. Nolan ^A and R. A. Leng ^A

^A School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia.
^B NSW Department of Primary Industries, Beef Industry Centre of Excellence, JSF Barker Building, Trevenna Road, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia.
^C Corresponding author. Email: fifishpool@hotmail.com

Animal Production Science 52(12) 1136-1141 http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/AN12104
Submitted: 21 March 2012 Accepted: 14 July 2012 Published: 18 September 2012





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Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the rate, variability and repeatability of intake by grazing sheep of a medicated feed block (MFB) containing fenbendazole and investigate if infection with gastrointestinal nematodes altered consumption patterns of the MFB in the same grazing mob. In Experiment 1, 30 Merino wethers were given access to an MFB for two separate 1-week periods, with blood sampling at Days 2, 4 and 6 of each period to determine MFB intake. In Experiment 2, the wethers were selected based on previous MFB intake and allocated to receive an oral dose of 10 000 Trichostrongylus colubriformis and 3000 Haemonchus contortus (anthelmintic susceptible) or a long acting anthelmintic. After 5 weeks, sheep were given access to an MFB (1.5 mg fenbendazole/g) and eight blood samples were taken over 2 weeks to determine intake. In Experiment 1, individual MFB intake in Week 1 and Week 2 was positively correlated (P = 0.002, R² = 0.287). Mean individual MFB intake in Experiment 1 and Experiment 2 was positively correlated (P = 0.008, R² = 0.047). In Experiment 2, more infected wethers (95%) consumed the MFB than did uninfected wethers (79%) (P < 0.001) and infected wethers ate significantly more MFB over the first 4 days (P = 0.041) of access. All infected sheep consumed sufficient MFB to receive a therapeutic dose and worm egg counts in infected sheep declined from 2165 epg to 120 epg in the first week of access to MFB. The decline in differences in MFB intake between infected and uninfected sheep corresponded to the decline in worm egg count, suggesting the existence of self-medication with parasitism accounting for intake differences.

Additional keywords: targeted selective treatment, zoopharmacognosy.

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