Swine: Herbs help in the control of gastrointestinal worms
Published: December 4, 2007
Source : Animal Sciences Group - Wageningen University
Researchers stated that the combination of conventional synthetic drugs and a diet with herb mixture containing Thymus vulgaris, Melissa officinalis and Echinacea purpurea is a good option for organic farmers with mild infection levels of Ascaris suum in their swine herds.
The study -conducted on 32 young boars monitored over 67 days- has compared four experimental treatments:
1. Negative control: no treatment was applied to prevent or control an infection with Ascaris suum;
2. Positive control: pigs were treated with a conventional anthelmintic (Flubendazole) one week before slaughter;
3. Herb mixture: pigs were fed a diet supplemented with herb mixture;
4. Herb mixture + tea: pigs were fed a diet supplemented with herb mixture (as treatment 3) plus black tea.
All pigs were infected daily by oral inoculation of 200 Ascaris suum eggs, to reach a total of 1000 inoculated eggs per pig. In all treatments, 100% of the livers showed white spots, indicating that inoculated worm eggs developed into adult worms in all pigs.
Even though a diet with the mentioned herb mixture fed to growing and finishing pigs has not decreased the number of pigs infected with Ascaris suum, it has indeed reduced the average number of worms in the gastrointestinal tract.
Researchers also concluded that the synthetic wormer Flubendazole has offered the most effective internal parasite control. And even the herbal additive has not showed remarkable effects on deworming, for organic herds, researchers suggest the combined use of a conventional anthelmintic and a diet containing the herb mixture as a viable option on farms with a low worm burden, being the infection level the determinant key to use the herb extract to keep Ascaris suum in acceptable, reduced levels.
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Animal Sciences Group - Wageningen UniversityRelated topics:
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