Evaluation of strategic and selective anthelmintic treatments on Pelibuey ewes in Cuba¤/Evaluación de tratamientos antihelmínticos estratégicos y selectivos en ovejas Pelibuey en Cuba/Avaliação de tratamentos anti-helmínticos estratégicos e seletivos em ovelhas Pelibuey em Cuba

• Published in: Revista Colombiana de Ciencias pecuarias 2014-10, Vol.27 (4), p.273
• Main Authors: Arece-García, Javier, López-Leyva, Yoel, González-Garduño, Roberto, Torres-Hernández, Glafiro
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0120-0690; 2256-2958

Gastrointestinal parasitism is an important limitation for sheep production in Cuba. This situation is worsened by the lack of an effective parasite control strategy. The objective of this study was to assess whether selective and strategic treatments could help achieve a level of control of nematodes similar to systematic drenchings. An experimental group of 73 Pelibuey ewes was divided into four groups: the Epizoo group was dewormed at lambing in the middle of the dry season and at weaning; the FAMACHA group was treated according to the color of ocular mucosa as indicative of anemia; the Chemical group was drenched every three months; and the control group, in which animals remained untreated unless fecal egg count (FEC) was higher than 1500 eggs per gram of feces or the packed cell volume (PCV) was lower than 15%. The control group showed the highest FEC and the lowest PCV. The authors also observed similar levels of FEC and body condition in the Epizoo, FAMACHA and Chemical groups.