Efficiency of feeding Duddingtonia flagrans chlamydospores to control nematode parasites of first-season grazing goats in France

• Published in: Veterinary research communications Vol. 31; no. 3; pp. 305 - 315
• Main Authors: Paraud, C, Pors, I, Chartier, C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Springer Nature B.V 01.04.2007
• Subjects: animal development; Animals; Ascomycota; Ascomycota - growth & development; biological control; biological control agents; blood chemistry; body weight; dosage; dose response; Duddingtonia flagrans; fecal egg count; Feces - parasitology; Female; France; fungal spores; Gastrointestinal Diseases - parasitology; Gastrointestinal Diseases - prevention & control; Gastrointestinal Diseases - veterinary; gastrointestinal nematodes; goat diseases; Goat Diseases - parasitology; Goat Diseases - prevention & control; Goats; grazing; kids; liveweight gain; Nematoda; Nematoda - growth & development; Nematoda - microbiology; nematode control; nematode infections; Nematode Infections - parasitology; Nematode Infections - prevention & control; Nematode Infections - veterinary; nematode larvae; nematophagous fungi; Parasite Egg Count - veterinary; pepsinogen; Pest Control, Biological - methods; Poaceae - parasitology; Spores, Fungal - growth & development; Statistics, Nonparametric; France
• ISSN: 0165-7380; 1573-7446
• DOI: 10.1007/s11259-006-3467-1

A field trial, conducted over two consecutive years, was aimed at assessing the efficacy of the administration of spores of the nematophagous fungus Duddingtonia flagrans to young goats for the control of nematode parasite infections on a French commercial dairy goat flock. For both years, the first-year grazing kids were divided into two similarly managed groups (fungus and control groups): in 2003 a daily dose rate of 5 x 10(5) spores/kg body weight was given to the fungus-group animals, while in 2004 a daily dose rate of 10(6) spores/kg body weight was used; the other half of the kids, acting as control, did not receive the spores. Parameters measured every 3 weeks included nematode egg excretion, larval development in faecal cultures and pasture larval counts. Additionally, at the beginning, the middle and the end of each grazing season, the goats were weighed and blood samples for pepsinogen determination were collected. In 2003, similar results were recorded for all the measured parameters in the control and fungus groups. In contrast, in 2004, the kids receiving the spores showed lower faecal egg counts and pepsinogen levels at the end of the season and higher growth rate compared to kids of the control group.