THE EFFECT OF ANTHELMINTIC TREATMENT OF MAIDEN EWES IN THE PERIPARTURIENT PERIOD ON PASTURE CONTAMINATION AND PRODUCTION OF PRIME LAMBS

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Abstract
SUMMARY A replicated experiment using first cross Border Leicester/Merino maiden ewes set stocked at the rate of 9.9 per hectare was conducted to examine the effects of treatment of the ewes in the periparturient period (PPP) and treatment of lambs at about 12 weeks of age on the production of prime lambs. All treatments given were thiabendazole.Four groups each of 100 ewes (4 replicates × 25) were treated either pre‐lambing, 2 weeks before lambing commenced and again post‐lambing, 8 weeks later when lambing was almost complete (DD), pre‐lambing only (DO), post‐lambing only (OD) or not treated during the lambing period (OO). Lambing commenced 24 July 1972 with the bulk of lambing (98%) occuring within the first 4 weeks of a 6 weeks lambing period.The effectiveness of the drenching regimes was judged by observing bodyweight gains per day during four overlapping intervals between birth and 18 weeks of age. The bodyweight gain of lambs up to 18 weeks and the number of lambs exceeding a target weight of 33 kg at 18 weeks of age were considered to be critical measurements of production efficiency. Significant bodyweight differences were observed within 30 days from birth, favouring DD and DO over OD and OO lambs (p < 0.01). These differences continued until 12 weeks of age at a reduced level of significance (p < 0.05). By 18 weeks of age the results favoured DD over DO (p <0.05) over both OD and OO lambs (p < 0.05). Further differences were created by the treatment of lambs at 12 weeks of age (p < 0.01). At no time during the entire experiment were any significant differences observed between OD and OO lambs.The periparturient rise (PPR) in faecal nematode egg output was monitored throughout the experiment. Anthelmintic treatment of the ewes in the PPP did not eliminate the PPR but did affect the onset, magnitude and duration of the PPR which was either delayed by the prelambing treatment or truncated by the post‐lambing treatment; treatments both before and after lambing delayed and depressed the PPR and reduced total pasture contamination by 29%.An effect on bodyweight of ewes was also observed with ewes being treated pre‐lambing (Groups DD, DO) being significantly heavier at 18 weeks post‐lambing than OD and OO ewes (p < 0.05).The observed effects on lamb production have been attributed in the main to an apparent, though not specifically measured, effect on lactation in those ewes being treated pre‐lambing. The effect of delayed (Groups DD, DO) and/or reduced (Group DD) pasture contamination was considered to be additive to the earlier lactation response. Treatment of lambs at 12 weeks did not obscure these responses.

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