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The effect of subclinical intestinal nematode infection on the diet seletion of growing sheep

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 August 2007

I. Kyriazakis ,
J.D. Oldham ,
R.L. Coop  and
F. Jackson
I. Kyriazakis
Affiliation:
Genetics and Behavioural Sciences Department, Scottish Agricultural College Edinburgh, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG
J.D. Oldham
Affiliation:
Genetics and Behavioural Sciences Department, Scottish Agricultural College Edinburgh, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG
R.L. Coop
Affiliation:
Moredun Reserch Institute, 408 Gilmerton Road, Edinburgh EH17 7JH
F. Jackson
Affiliation:
Moredun Reserch Institute, 408 Gilmerton Road, Edinburgh EH17 7JH
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Abstract

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To test the hypothesis that subclinical gastrointestinal parasitism, associated with an impairment in N digestion and metabolism and a reduction in the voluntary feed intake (VFI), could affect the diet selection of sheep given a choice between two feeds that differed in their crude protein (CP) content, twenty-four Texel ×Scottish Blackface ewe lambs growing from 28 to 48 kg live weight (LWT) were given a daily dose of 2500 larvae of the intestinal nematode Trichostrongylus colubriformis; twenty-four similar lambs were used as uninfected controls. Six infected and six control lambs were given a free choice between two pelleted feeds (10·4 MJ metabolizable energy/kg), wilh different CP contents (90 (L) and 214 (H) g CP/kg fresh feed respectively). In addition, eighteen parasitized and eighteen control sheep were given access ad lib. to either feed L, or feed H, or their mixture M (164 g CP/kg; twelve per feed), in order to quantify the effects of the feeds when offered alone, and to test for any interactions between feed CP content and parasitism on the performance of the lambs. Intestinal parasitism reduced significantly (P < 0·001) both the rates of LWT gain (by 30%) and VFI (by 10%). The adult and developing parasitic forms took 4 weeks to establish and develop to a significant adult worm population (as judged by the faecal egg counts and blood variables) and until then there was no effect of parasitism on the performance of the lambs. The diet selection of the lambs given a choice between two feeds was similar between the two groups in the first 4 weeks of the experiment, but differed significantly (P < 0·05) in the second part of the experiment (4th week to the end). Thus, while parasitized lambs had a reduced rate of feed intake, by changing their diet selection they achieved a daily rate of CP intake similar to the control ones. However, since the parasitized lambs had a reduced rate of LWT gain, they also consumed a higher total amount of CP to reach the same LWT. It is concluded that sheep infected daily with a small number of larvae of T. colubriformis and given a choice between two feeds that differ in their protein contents are able to modify their diet selection in order to meet the increased protein requirements resulting from such an infection.

Keywords

AppetiteIntestinal nematode infectionProtein intakeTrichostrongylus colubriformis
Type
Effect of parasitic infection on diet selection by sheep
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 72 , Issue 5 , November 1994 , pp. 665 - 677
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 1994

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