Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-4rdpn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-19T04:56:08.776Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The use of chicory for parasite control in organic ewes and their lambs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 October 2006

S. ATHANASIADOU ,
D. GRAY ,
D. YOUNIE ,
O. TZAMALOUKAS ,
F. JACKSON  and
I. KYRIAZAKIS
S. ATHANASIADOU
Affiliation:
Animal Nutrition and Health Department, Scottish Agricultural College, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, UK
D. GRAY
Affiliation:
Consultancy Division, Scottish Agricultural College, Craibstone Estate, Aberdeen AB21 9YA, UK
D. YOUNIE
Affiliation:
Consultancy Division, Scottish Agricultural College, Craibstone Estate, Aberdeen AB21 9YA, UK
O. TZAMALOUKAS
Affiliation:
Animal Nutrition and Health Department, Scottish Agricultural College, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, UK
F. JACKSON
Affiliation:
Parasitology Division, Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik EH26 0PZ, UK
I. KYRIAZAKIS
Affiliation:
Animal Nutrition and Health Department, Scottish Agricultural College, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, UK
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential benefits of grazing lactating ewes and their lambs on chicory (Cichorium intybus). Fifty-six certified organic twin-rearing ewes were either drenched with an anthelmintic or not, within 2 days after parturition and were grazed upon either grass/clover or chicory pastures. Around 12 weeks after parturition a subset of 12 lambs per treatment was slaughtered for worm number and parasite species determination. The faecal egg counts of lambs from undrenched ewes grazing on chicory were significantly lower than those of lambs from undrenched ewes grazing on grass. Lambs grazing on chicory had similar abomasal worm counts as those grazing on grass at 12 weeks of age; the predominant species was Teladorsagia circumcincta. There was no difference between the intestinal worm counts in lambs grazing on grass or chicory, with Trichostrongylus vitrinus being the predominant species. Liveweight gains over the 126-day experimental period were significantly higher in lambs from drenched than those from undrenched ewes. Lambs from undrenched ewes grazing on chicory had higher liveweight gains compared to those from undrenched ewes grazing on grass. Although chicory grazing did not affect ewe nematode egg excretion, it resulted in lower egg counts in lambs and improved their liveweight gains to the same level as those deriving from drenched ewes.

Keywords

alternativesbioactivechicorynematodesnutritionorganicparasites
Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 134 , Issue 2 , February 2007 , pp. 299 - 307
Copyright
2006 Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Athanasiadou, S., Arsenos, G. and Kyriazakis, I. ( 2002). Animal health and welfare issues arising in organic ruminant production systems. In Organic Meat and Milk from Ruminants (ed. Kyriazakis, I. and Zervas, G.), pp. 39–56. Wageningen Academic Publishers, The Netherlands.
Athanasiadou, S., Tzamaloukas, O., Kyriazakis, I., Jackson, F. and Coop, R. L. ( 2005). Testing for direct anthelmintic effects of bioactive forages against Trichostrongylus colubriformis in grazing sheep. Veterinary Parasitology 127, 233–243.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barger, I. A. ( 1993). Influence of sex and reproductive status on susceptibility of ruminants to nematode parasitism. International Journal for Parasitology 23, 463–469.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barry, T. N. ( 1998). The feeding value of chicory (Cichorium intybus) for ruminant livestock. Journal of Agricultural Science 131, 251–257.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barthram, G. T. ( 1985). Experimental Techniques: the HFRO Sward Stick. Biennial Report 1984–1985. Penicuik, pp. 29–30. Hill Farming Research Organisation.
Christie, M. and Jackson, F. ( 1982). Specific identification of strongyle eggs in small samples of sheep faeces. Research in Veterinary Science 32, 113–117.Google Scholar
Coop, R. L. and Kyriazakis, I. ( 1999). Nutrition-parasite interaction. Veterinary Parasitology 84, 187–204.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
EU ( 1999). Council Directive 99/1804/1999, 19 July 1999 Official Journal L221/1, 19/8/1999.
Hoskin, S. O., Barry, T. N., Wilson, P. R., Charleston, W. A. G. and Hodgson, J. ( 1999). Effects of reducing anthelmintic input upon growth and faecal egg and larval counts in young farmed deer grazing chicory (Chicorium intybus) and perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne)/white clover (Trifolium repens) pasture. Journal of Agricultural Science 132, 335–345.Google Scholar
Houdijk, J. G. M., Jessop, N. S. and Kyriazakis, I. ( 2001). Nutrient partitioning between reproductive and immune functions in animals. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 60, 515–525.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Houdijk, J. G. M., Kyriazakis, I., Jackson, F., Huntley, J. F. and Coop, R. L. ( 2003). Is the allocation of metabolisable protein prioritised to milk production rather than to immune functions in Teladorsagia circumcincta infected lactating ewes? International Journal for Parasitology 33, 327–338.Google Scholar
Landau, S., Molle, G., Fois, N., Friedman, S., Barkai, D., Decandia, M., Cabiddu, A., Dvash, L. and Sitzia, M. ( 2005). Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) as a novel pasture species for dairy sheep in the Mediterranean conditions of Sardinia and Israel. Small Ruminant Research 59, 239–249.Google Scholar
Marley, C. L., Cook, R., Keatinge, R., Barrett, J. and Lampkin, N. H. ( 2003). The effect of birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) and chicory (Cichorium intybus) on parasite intensities and performance of lambs naturally infected with helminth parasites. Veterinary Parasitology 112, 147–155.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marley, C. L., Fraser, M. D., Roberts, J. E., Fychan, R. and Jones, R. ( 2006 a). Effects of legume forages on ovine gastrointestinal parasite development, migration and survival. Veterinary Parasitology 138, 308–317.Google Scholar
Marley, C. L., Cook, R., Barrett, J., Keatinge, R. and Lampkin, N. H. ( 2006 b). The effects of birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) and chicory (Cichorium intybus) when compared with perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) on ovine gastrointestinal parasite development, survival and migration. Veterinary Parasitology 138, 280–290.Google Scholar
MAFF ( 1986). Manual of Veterinary Parasitological Techniques. Technical Bulletin No 18. HMSO, London, 180pp.
Molan, A. L., Duncan, A. J., Barry, T. N. and McNabb, W. C. ( 2003). Effects of condensed tannins and crude sesquiterpene lactones extracted from chicory on the motility of larvae of deer lungworm and gastrointestinal nematodes. Parasitology International 52, 209–218.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Molle, G., Decandia, M., Fois, N., Ligios, S., Cabiddu, A. and Sitzia, M. ( 2003). The performance of Mediterranean dairy sheep given access to sulla (Hedysarum coronarium L.) and annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidum Gaudin) pastures in different time proportions. Small Ruminant Research 49, 319–328.Google Scholar
Niezen, J. H., Waghorn, G. C. and Charleston, W. A. G. ( 1998 a). Establishment and fecundity of Ostertagia circumcincta and Trichostrongylus colubriformis in lambs fed lotus (Lotus pedunculatus) or perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne). Veterinary Parasitology 78, 13–21.Google Scholar
Niezen, J. H., Robertson, H. A., Waghorn, G. C. and Charleston, W. A. G. ( 1998 b). Production, faecal egg counts and worm burdens of ewe lambs which grazed six contrasting forages. Veterinary Parasitology 80, 15–27.Google Scholar
Paolini, V., De La Farge, F., Prevot, F., Dorchies P. and Hoste H. ( 2005). Effects of the repeated distribution of sainfoin hay on the resistance and the resilience of goats naturally infected with gastrointestinal nematodes. Veterinary Parasitology 127, 277–283.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Porter, L. J., Hrstich, L. N. and Chan, B. G. ( 1986). The conversion of procyanidins and prodelphinidins to cyanidin and delphinidin. Phytochemistry 25, 223–230.Google Scholar
Price, M. L. and Butler, L. G. ( 1977). Rapid visual estimation and spectrophotometric determination of tannin content of sorghum grain. Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry 25, 1268–1273.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rees, S. B. and Harborne, J. B. ( 1985). The role of sesquiterpene lactones and phenolics in the chemical defense of the chicory plant. Phytochemistry 24, 2225–2231.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Scales, G. H., Knight, T. L. and Saville, D. J. ( 1995). Effect of herbage species and feeding level on internal parasites and production performance of grazing lambs. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 38, 237–247.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shaik, S. A., Terrill, T. H., Miller, J. E., Kouakou, B., Kannan, G., Kaplan, R. M., Burke, J. M. and Mosjidis, J. A. ( 2006). Sericea lespedeza hay as a natural deworming agent against gastrointestinal nematode infection in goats. Veterinary Parasitology 139, 150–157.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
SOIL ASSOCIATION ( 2000). Technical Guides for Organic Crop and Livestock Production. Roundworm Control in Organic Sheep Systems, pp.1–13.
Tzamaloukas, O., Athanasiadou, S., Kyriazakis, I., Jackson, F. and Coop, R. L. ( 2005). Effects of short-term grazing on bioactive forages on lambs artificially infected with Teladorsagia circumcincta. International Journal for Parasitology 35, 329–335.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tzamaloukas, O., Athanasiadou, S., Kyriazakis, I., Huntley, J. F. and Jackson, F. ( 2006). The effect of chicory (Cichorium intybus ) and sulla (Hedysarum coronarium) on larval development and mucosal cell responses of growing lambs challenged with Teladorsagia circumcincta. Parasitology 132, 419–426.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Urquhart G. M., Armour J., Duncan J. L., Dunn, A. M. and Jennings F. W. ( 1996). Veterinary Parasitology. Blackwell Science, Oxford. UK.
Younie, D., Umrani, A. P., Gray, D. and Coutts, M. ( 2001). Effect of chicory or perennial ryegrass diets on mineral status of lambs. In Organic Grassland Farming, Vol. 6 Grassland Science in Europe (ed. Isselstein, J., Spatz, G. and Hoffman, M.), pp. 278–280. European Grassland Federation, Witzenhausen, Germany.