Internal Parasite Control in Spring Calving Herds

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Jeanne - Simme Valley

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  • Source Mark Z. Johnson, Oklahoma State University Extension Beef Cattle Breeding Specialist
  • May 18, 2023
    Modern beef cattle production is a business. As such, the expense of each production input should be weighed against the profit potential it creates. Successfully managing a commercial cow-calf operation is based on making the best economic decisions on a day-to-day basis. Making good decisions each day is the result of planning, anticipating what will happen and reacting positively to what does happen. With this in mind, this week's topic is parasite control. For spring calving herds, it's the time of year to turn out on warm season grass pastures. For spring born calves, decisions on when to administer the first round of vaccinations, castration, growth implants and parasite control will impact the profit potential of those calves in the months ahead.

    Veterinarians and producers realize the potential negative impact parasites can have on cattle performance, health, well-being and economic return. Parasitism can have subclinical effects such as suppression of the immune system, reduced weight gain, reduced conception rates and reduced milk production. As well as clinical effects such as anemia, diarrhea, rough hair coat and death.


    Adult Cattle

    Although immunity to internal parasites develops with maturity in most cattle, adult cattle (over two years of age) still harbor internal parasites and can be a major source of pasture contamination. While it is difficult to justify the practice of deworming adult cattle strictly for the performance benefit to the individual animal, untreated adult cattle are a significant source of pasture contaminations for young cattle. A non-treated cow-calf pair can deposit millions of eggs onto a pasture during grazing season.


    Young Cattle

    Milk is the primary source of nutrition for young calves. These young calves learn grazing behavior from their dams starting at a few weeks of age. A good rule of thumb to use: young calves will benefit from deworming medication at approximately two months of age or at 200 pounds of body weight. Studies have shown deworming the cow and her calf at this time provides significant economic return. Calves younger and lighter than this typically don't need to be treated for internal parasites; however, in cases of severe drought or lack of milk production from the dam, young calves will start to graze earlier and accordingly develop internal parasite infections earlier negatively impacting their growth. If calves are two months of age or more than 200 pounds at spring grazing turnout, it is safe to assume they will start to acquire internal parasite infections on day one of grazing.

    Because of the numerous factors involved in developing a practical, cost effective parasite control program, it is advised that cattle producers work closely with their veterinarians to develop a customized control program that results in the most optimum benefit to their operation. More detail can be found on the topic of internal parasite control in chapter 37 of the OSU Beef Cattle Manual.

    Reference:

    Chapter 37. OSU Beef Manual, eighth edition.
 
Dated May, 2023
I did not say it was an old report but old style. It totally misses the building problem of resistance, using FECs to see if cattle even need worming and the purpose of refugia... I likely shared that I have done FECs on weaned calves which had never been wormed in the past couple of years. All except one or two were below the threshold to treat. I have pressured the herd to build resistance by not worming anything over 3 YO for the past 15 to 20 years. Flukes are different if you have them. But wholesale worming is not really smart.

We've had St. Croix sheep since 2006. All breeders are "zero wormer needed". FECs in the past several years identified lambs clearly as little resistance (a few), resilience (fair amount) and resistance (majority). I culled based on FECs to take out about half of the flock including ewes that had lambs with either lesser resistance or resilience.

This is in the humid SE USA. Sometimes you have to step up and go it without the majority. But it makes my life easier and I can sell with confidence.
 
I did not say it was an old report but old style. It totally misses the building problem of resistance, using FECs to see if cattle even need worming and the purpose of refugia... I likely shared that I have done FECs on weaned calves which had never been wormed in the past couple of years. All except one or two were below the threshold to treat. I have pressured the herd to build resistance by not worming anything over 3 YO for the past 15 to 20 years. Flukes are different if you have them. But wholesale worming is not really smart.

We've had St. Croix sheep since 2006. All breeders are "zero wormer needed". FECs in the past several years identified lambs clearly as little resistance (a few), resilience (fair amount) and resistance (majority). I culled based on FECs to take out about half of the flock including ewes that had lambs with either lesser resistance or resilience.

This is in the humid SE USA. Sometimes you have to step up and go it without the majority. But it makes my life easier and I can sell with confidence.
How hard is it to do a fecal count? I have never tried
 
Thank you. Its something I want to learn to do myself. How expensive of a microscope is needed?
I bought a used one. I can give you the name of the business if you'd like. A friend in KS bought one from them since I did and is also pleased with their purchase. You want a mechanical stage so that you can turn knobs and see the grid patterns (up and down and then move over and repeat via down and up..) quickly. Otherwise it would be a hard effort. I can look at the power of the lenses I use but I think it is 100X. Get a light under the base to see the best. I mix samples in disposable plastic drinking cups, use a home mixed Epson's salt solution and use the glove as a sample holder. It is basically cheap once you get the microscope and slide(s). The trick to speed for me is multiple slides. You can get several, set up the samples in that #, do the time to place samples on the slides in the same #... It speeds the process for me. I bought the ones with the green lines as somebody told me that the lines remain visible longer.

The choice in microscopes is binocular or monocular. I surveyed for nearly 40 years and got used to using one eye. A binocular microscope is harder for me at times. I want to try a monocular to see if that is better. Try to see if a science teacher at a local school or tech center will let you try them before you buy.
 
I did not say it was an old report but old style. It totally misses the building problem of resistance, using FECs to see if cattle even need worming and the purpose of refugia... I likely shared that I have done FECs on weaned calves which had never been wormed in the past couple of years. All except one or two were below the threshold to treat. I have pressured the herd to build resistance by not worming anything over 3 YO for the past 15 to 20 years. Flukes are different if you have them. But wholesale worming is not really smart.

We've had St. Croix sheep since 2006. All breeders are "zero wormer needed". FECs in the past several years identified lambs clearly as little resistance (a few), resilience (fair amount) and resistance (majority). I culled based on FECs to take out about half of the flock including ewes that had lambs with either lesser resistance or resilience.

This is in the humid SE USA. Sometimes you have to step up and go it without the majority. But it makes my life easier and I can sell with confidence.

I meant to ask you this the other day but are you running the sheep in the same pastures as the cattle? If so, are they in there with the cattle at the same time or does sheep follow cattle or cattle follow sheep?
 
I meant to ask you this the other day but are you running the sheep in the same pastures as the cattle? If so, are they in there with the cattle at the same time or does sheep follow cattle or cattle follow sheep?
Not really. There is some mutual use of pastures but not much.
 

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