A Pelleted Sericea Lespedeza Diet for Control of Internal Parasites and Pathogens in Goats and Sheep

Non-Technical Summary: Internal parasites are the greatest health and production challenge for small ruminants in southeastern states and others during warm, humid conditions (including Northeastern, Midwestern and irrigated pastures in Western US). Haemonchus contortus or barber pole worm thrives in warm, humid climates and is a voracious blood feeder that can cause anemia and death to the animal if left untreated. Dewormer or anthelmintic resistance has left many producers without any chemical control of worms, which was heavily relied on in the past. Published studies reported that consumption of sericea lespedeza, a condensed tannin rich forage, has offered control of parasites in sheep and goats. Feeding of condensed tannins may reduce gut pathogens, which would lead to reduced contamination of carcasses at slaughter. The objectives of this project are to determine the effectiveness of a sericea lespedeza pellet processed by the Sims Brothers, Inc. as an aid in controlling internal parasites in lambs and goat kids and the effect on gut pathogens in lambs. To examine the effect of the pelleted sericea lespedeza on controlling worms, lambs and kids will be fed a proprietary sericea lespedeza pellet or a comparable bermudagrass based pellet as a control from weaning until market weight. Fecal egg counts and blood packed cell volume will be measured every seven days throughout the study to estimate level of worm infection and body weight will be determined every 28 days. The number of times an animal required deworming (selective deworming based on anemia will be used) will be recorded and economics will be considered. The second study will determine whether gut pathogens can be reduced by feeding the sericea lespedeza pellets compared to the bermudagrass control to lambs inoculated with Escherichia coli O157:H7 seven days before slaughter. Fecal samples will be collected daily for seven days to determine fecal shedding of pathogens. Lambs will be slaughtered seven days after E. coli inoculation and intestinal contents and tissues from ileum, cecum, and rectum will be aseptically collected for quantification of E. coli. If successful, this project has the potential to increase sustainability and profitability of sheep and goat producers that have no effective chemical dewormers and provide a product for feedlots or pre-slaughter animals to decrease harmful bacteria on the processed carcass increasing food safety of meat products. <P> Approach: To examine the effect of the pelleted sericea lespedeza on controlling worms, lambs and kids will be fed a proprietary sericea lespedeza pellet or a comparable bermudagrass-based pellet as a control from weaning until market weight. Fecal egg counts and blood-packed cell volume will be measured every 7 days throughout the study to estimate level of worm infection, and body weight will be determined every 28 days. The number of times an animal required deworming (selective deworming based on anemia will be used) will be recorded and economics will be considered. Using the sericea lespedeza leaf meal pellets produced by the Sims Brothers, two experiments will be conducted on feeding a control and the sericea lespedeza pellet to either lambs or goat kids. Animals will be monitored for body weight gain and infection with internal parasites. A third experiment will be conducted looking at the potential of the sericea lespedeza pellet to reduce the incidence of gut pathogens.