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Effects of Gastrointestinal Nematodiasis on the Productivity of Monozygous Twin Cattle. I. Growth Performance

Merck Sharp & Dohme Research Laboratories, Tourinnes Saint-Lambert, Belgium

Abstract

Nine pairs of monozygous twin bull calves were collected at a few months of age and following a quarantine period, maintained together on pasture for an average of 4 1/2 months, in the stable for 6 months and again on pasture for 6 1/2 months. On pasture one animal of each twin pair was dosed with Cambendazole at 2-week intervals to insure a low level of helminth infection. During the barn period each animal received individually 1.5 kg of concentrates and grass hay ad libitum, total consumption being recorded daily. The non-treated controls developed a moderate parasite infection, primarily Cooperia, Ostertagia and Oesophagostomum species, whereas a very low level was maintained in those treated. The non-treated animals exhibited a depressed appetite for roughage throughout at least 7 months of the study period. During the stable period, which was subdivided into three equal 8-week periods, a significant depression in average daily hay intake of .361, .554 and .717 kg, respectively, occurred during these periods in the non-treated controls. Further, treated animals required less nutrients per kilogram body weight gain than the control. During the barn period 175 g of starch equivalent and 40 g of digestible crude protein per kilogram weight gain were saved by the treated calves. The average body weight gains of the treated animals was 49.2 kg per animal more than the controls of which 19.4 kg occurred during the last 111 days at a time when the pasture from the nutritional viewpoint was less favorable.

The quantity of albumin in the blood serum as well as the albumin/globulin ratio was significantly lower in the control animals 7 months after the onset of clinical symptoms of parasitic infection.

It is concluded that gastrointestinal nematode infection affects the performance of calves not only shortly after exposure, but also as long as a year later, particularly where the affected animals are subsequently subjected to adverse conditions.

¹ Present address: Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Haarweg 10, Wageningen, The Netherlands.

² Merck Sharp & Dohme AG, 55 Utoquai, Zurich,Switzerland 8008.