Effect of commercial tannins on parasitic infection and immunity of lambs naturally infected with Haemonchus contortus.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different doses of quebracho extract tannins (Schinopsis lorenzii) (EQ) included in the basal diet (DB) on the count of eggs per gram of feces (EPG), count of parasites in the abomasum, hematological, and immunological parameters in lambs naturally infected with Haemonchus contortus. Forty-eight lambs were evaluated for 42 days and divided into four groups (n = 12): CONT- lambs that received DB without EQ supplementation; G1%- DB with EQ at 1% of dry matter intake (DMI) level; G3%- DB with EQ at the 3% of DMI level; G6%- DB with EQ at the 6% DMI level. For EPG counts, feces were collected weekly.

Salivary, serum, and abomasal mucus IgA as an immune correlate of protection against Haemonchus contortus infection in naturally infected lambs.

This study aimed to evaluate salivary, serum, and abomasal mucus IgA levels in lambs naturally infected with Haemonchus contortus. Thirty-seven crossbred lambs (½ Texel or ½ Ile de France) with an average age of 193 days were evaluated for 56 days after grazing on a contaminated pasture. Fecal samples were collected every 7 days to evaluate the EPG.

Intake and performance of growing lambs supplemented with quebracho tannins.

Tannins can modulate rumen fermentation and increase the bypass protein; however, the use of different doses and sources of condensed tannins (CT) in animal diets has divergent results. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different levels of dietary quebracho extract inclusion, as a CT source, in the performance and carcass characteristics of growing lambs. Forty-eight weaned lambs (Texel, Suffolk, and Hampshire Down crossbred) were homogenously blocked into four groups and supplemented at 0, 10, 30, and 60 g tannins/kg dry matter intake (DMI) (CONT, T1%, T3%, and T6%, respectively).

Can orange essential oil reduce the severity of parasitic infection in sheep?

In this study, a three-step experiment was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of orange essential oil (OEO) to reduce the severity of parasitic infection in lambs naturally infected with gastrointestinal parasites. In the first and second stages of the experiment, the lambs were distributed in groups (n = 10): without treatment (control), treated with levamisole (7.5 mg/kg), and treated either with 200, 300 or 400 mg/kg OEO in the first stage and with two doses of 300 or 350 mg/kg each of OEO with a six-hour interval in the second stage.

Comparison of nonlinear mathematical models for lamb growth analysis.

With the objective to determine the best mathematical model that could demonstrate the relationship between body weight and age in crossbred sheep, and to evaluate its applicability in different farms, 9985 live weight records of 837 crossbred lambs of Texel, Ile de France, Suffolk, and Hampshire Down breeds were used. Brody, von Bertalanffy, Richards, Logistic, and Gompertz models were fitted to the weight data, which were compared based on adjusted R, Syx%, chi-square, and Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests, as well as residual analysis. After selecting the model, lambs whose weights at different ages fell within, below, or above ±20% of the values predicted by the model were classified as medium, low, or high performance, respectively.