Progress report for LNE22-443
Project Information
Problem and Justification
Gastrointestinal parasites affect virtually all grazing livestock. Traditionally, parasite management involved the single approach of administering dewormer to all animals on the farm multiple times per year. However, this practice has inadvertently resulted in the development of dewormer resistance, which represents a risk to livestock farmers in regards to animal welfare, environmental sustainability, and economic return. The economic loss associated with dewormer resistance is two-fold because it represents a direct cost to the farmer and limits the number of fully effective dewormers available in critical animal health situations. Dewormer resistance has been well-recognized in small ruminants, and the concern for the development of resistance in parasites relevant to other livestock, including cattle and horses, is growing. Therefore, it is necessary for livestock farmers to adopt new ways of controlling parasites in their animals.
Solution and Approach:
To mitigate the development of dewormer resistance and improve the economic return of dewormer administration, farmers must become more selective in their use of dewormers and utilize other management strategies, such as good pasture and animal management, to control the parasite load in their animals. To that end, this program aims to highlight the components of a successful parasite management program and help farmers understand how these strategies can be applicable in their specific situation. We will utilize a combination of one-on-one consultations and field day instruction events in order to help livestock farmers in Maryland learn how to: 1) employ good pasture management practices to control parasite load; 2) monitor parasite load to determine if and when dewormer application is necessary; 3) adopt one of several selective-deworming strategies; 4) utilize appropriate techniques for selecting and administering a dewormer; and 5) evaluate the performance of a dewormer on their farm. One-on-one consultations will focus on building individualized parasite management programs for participants and teaching them to apply these strategies in their own unique situations. On-farm field days will also focus on teaching these strategies and provide an opportunity for participants to ask questions and learn about the experiences of each field-day host farm in the context of parasite management. Post-participation surveys will be conducted to document knowledge gain and behavior changes that occur as a result of this program. Two research studies will be carried out in order to document the effects of 1) improved pasture management on apparent parasite load of pregnant dairy heifers; and 2) forage type (annual vs. perennial) on parasite load of beef cattle and sheep. These studies will provide data to further support the benefits of using pasture management to help control parasites in livestock.
We estimate that 30% of program participants (54 farms) will make at least 1 alteration to their parasite management program, which will affect approximately 1,080 animals and 2,500 acres. Utilizing these practices will reduce the amount of dewormer purchased and applied by each of these farms by 30%, resulting in an annual savings of $3/head/year.
Description of the Problem
Most livestock producers are aware that gastrointestinal parasites can reduce performance, and accordingly, take measures to protect their animals. Gastrointestinal parasites are typically controlled through application of dewormers. Although livestock producers have the best intentions when treating their animals for parasites, routine and frequent treatment is contributing to reduced dewormer efficacy, or resistance. With current practices of routine, non-selective administration of dewormer multiple times per year, it is possible that livestock producers are 1) administering dewormer to animals that do not actually need to be dewormed; or 2) administering a product with reduced efficacy. Both situations perpetuate the development of dewormer resistance and contribute to economic loss. The economic loss associated with dewormer resistance is two-fold because it represents a direct cost to the farmer and limits the number of fully effective dewormers available in critical animal health situations.
Dewormer efficacy is determined by assessing parasite load before and after dewormer administration. A parasite load reduction of ≥95% indicates an effective treatment. Dewormer resistance has been well-documented in small ruminant production systems. While documentation of dewormer resistance is less prevalent in other species, there are reports of resistance in beef cattle (Gasbarre et al., 2015) and horses (Nielsen et al., 2018) across the United States and other countries. A recent study led by USDA APHIS researchers (Gasbarre et al., 2015) indicated that 30% of beef farms located in 19 states across the Central, Southeastern, and Western regions of the U.S. had reduced dewormer efficacy (<90% reduction). In addition, our team recently examined the efficacy of dewormers on Maryland beef farms and observed reduced efficacy on 70% of farms. Thus, it is clear that dewormer resistance is present for beef herds at both national and local levels for beef cattle.
Extrapolating these findings and using data from USDA NASS, we postulate that dewormer resistance affects over 213,000 and 815 beef cattle herds across the U.S. and Maryland, respectively. Data for small ruminants (Kaplan and Vidyashankar, 2012)would indicate that virtually all sheep and goat operations in the US (237,829 farms)and Maryland (1,053 farms) are impacted by dewormer resistance. A conservative estimate of 25% would suggest that 10,000 dairy and 115,000 equine farms are affected nationally, with 84 dairy and 130 equine farms affected in Maryland. Because dewormer resistance is an issue at the parasite-level, farms of all sizes are expected to be impacted.
Solution and Benefits
In order to mitigate the development of dewormer resistance in livestock production systems, farmers should take measures to evaluate and adjust their parasite control program. Adoption of new management strategies will reduce the reliance on dewormers to help preserve dewormer efficacy, reduce costs associated with the development of dewormer resistance, and improve environmental stewardship of livestock operations. Data from small ruminants have indicated that several approaches can both reduce reliance on dewormers and slow the development of dewormer resistance simultaneously (Kaplan, 2020). Such approaches include developing an understanding of current dewormer efficacy on a farm, adopting a selective treatment approach, administering dewormer properly, and utilizing non-drug strategies (Kaplan, 2020). Evaluation and monitoring the current parasite management program is a critical first step to making adjustments to the program. This will be one focal point for the project and participants will be coached individually on how to perform this task. Adoption of selective treatment strategies is another critical aspect of the parasite management program that encourages judicious dewormer use. Program participants will be made aware of the various selection strategies available and the project team will help tailor a strategy as appropriate for each individual. Failure to comply with appropriate dewormer application protocol, especially under-dosing, significantly contributes to the development of dewormer resistance (Kaplan,2020). To that end, explanations for and demonstration of proper dewormer administration will be provided to program participants in order to show how under-dosing can be avoided. Perhaps an over-looked, but nonetheless crucial non-drug component of the parasite management program is pasture management (Burke and Miller, 2020). The project team will assist participants in developing or modifying their pasture management to mitigate parasite exposure. The research component of this project will generate data to highlight two different pasture management strategies and their effects on apparent animal parasite load. Results from these studies will demonstrate for farmers the extent to which these strategies impact parasite load and add to the overall body of literature that pertains to the effect that pasture management has on parasite load. Adoption of these aforementioned parasite management practices will improve the effectiveness of dewormers over time, as indicated through the fecal egg count reduction test, and reduce the amount of dewormer that is unnecessarily applied. At the farm-level, this translates to reduced costs associated with the purchase and application of dewormers.
Objective
This project will teach livestock and equine producers in Maryland how to implement best practices for intestinal parasite management and reduce reliance on dewormers through a combination of direct (on-farm consultations, field days, demonstrations) and indirect (articles, webinars) methods.
Cooperators
- (Educator and Researcher)
- (Educator and Researcher)
- (Educator and Researcher)
- (Educator and Researcher)
- (Educator and Researcher)
- (Educator and Researcher)
- (Researcher)
- (Educator and Researcher)
- (Educator and Researcher)
Research
The goal of this research is to provide data that highlight the impact of different pasture management approaches on apparent parasite load of livestock. We hypothesize that implementing improved pasture management with rotational grazing and improved forage varieties will reduce the apparent parasite load of pregnant dairy heifers relative to heifers managed under a continuous grazing system. We also hypothesize that adopting annual forages will reduce the apparent parasite load for beef cattle and sheep in a mixed species grazing system relative to those managed on perennial pasture only.
Research will take place at two separate sites utilizing either pregnant dairy heifers at the University of Maryland Dairy Farm in Clarksville, MD (Site 1) or a mixed beef cattle/sheep herd at the Western Maryland Research and Education Center in Keedysville, MD (Site 2).
Treatments
At Site 1, pregnant dairy heifers (n=40) will be evenly allocated to one of two treatments: control (continuous pasture) or rotational grazing. The treatments for this study were selected to assess the extent to which implementing improved pasture management practices affect parasite load on dairy heifers. The control treatment is designed to reflect the traditional housing and feeding methods of dairy producers in this region and across the nation. The rotational grazing treatment is designed to utilize good grazing management practices that could reasonably be implemented on many dairy herds.
At Site 2, growing beef cattle (n=20) and lambs (n=20) will be managed in two mixed-species groups each consisting of 10 cattle and 10 lambs. Each group will be allocated to one of two treatments: annual pasture (~10 acres) or perennial pasture (~10 acres). Treatments were selected to determine if the current trend of annual forage adoption has implications for parasite load on livestock. It is well-established that certain types of perennial forages, mainly those containing condensed tannins, such as Sericea lespedeza, can help control gastrointestinal parasites. However, it is unknown whether annual forages in general would affect parasite load. Due to the need to reestablish annual stands each year, it could be hypothesized that these forages could limit parasite proliferation and thereby reduce livestock exposure to parasites. These treatments, therefore, are designed to further our understanding of whether annual forages could be used as another tool to manage parasites in grazing livestock systems.
Methods
At Site 1, heifers on the control treatment (n=20) will have unrestricted access to a single pasture consisting of mostly tall fescue forage (~10 acres). In addition to pasture, these heifers will be fed a total mixed ration once daily to meet the majority of nutritional requirements. Heifers on the rotational grazing treatment (n=20) will be managed on a pasture consisting of tall fescue (~10 acres) and annual forage (~8 acres). This pasture will be subdivided into smaller paddocks of approximately 1 acre each to facilitate rotational grazing. The rotational grazing group will be rotationally grazed throughout the study, with rotations occurring approximately every 1 to 3 days depending on forage availability. These heifers will also receive 1 pound of concentrate mix per day consisting of ground corn and mineral mix to ensure adequate mineral consumption. The grazing period will last approximately 40 weeks (April – December) and will take place during year 1 and replicated in year 2.
At Site 2, pastures for both treatment groups will be subdivided into smaller paddocks of approximately 0.5-1 acres each to facilitate rotational grazing. Animals will be rotationally grazed throughout the study, with rotations occurring every 2-3 days depending on forage availability. Animals will have access to free-choice minerals throughout the study. The grazing period will take place for 40 weeks (April – December) and will take place during year 2 and replicated in year 3.
Data Collection and Analysis
Animals at both sites will be weighed every other week throughout the respective grazing seasons in order to monitor performance. During each occasion, samples of manure will be collected from each individual animal for fecal egg count analysis. Samples of manure (~100 grams each) will be collected directly from the rectum of each animal by trained personnel and stored in the refrigerator until overnight shipment to Virginia State University. Personnel at Virginia State University will determine the number of eggs within each sample using the three-chambered McMaster technique (George et al., 2017). Fecal egg count will be statistically analyzed to assess the effect of treatment and species (Site 2 only).
Farmer Input
One member of the advisory committee expressed substantial interest in exploring the effect of forage type or species on parasite load in livestock. Although we are not able to investigate the effect of that specific species on fecal egg counts due to constraints related to pasture establishment, this does indicate that there is interest in exploring the possibility of incorporating different forages as part of the parasite management program. Through interactions with beef farmers during our team’s assessment of dewormer resistance in 2020 (Potts et al., 2021), farmers often inquired about the effect of different pasture management practices on parasite load. These studies would provide data to help justify recommendations for changes in pasture management in the context of parasite control.
Additional Information:
Due to the coordination of body weight measurement and fecal egg count analysis for the animals involved with this research, this study also provides opportunity to conduct a break-point analysis for parasite load in relation to body weight gain. Although this is not the main objective of the study, these data may allow us to determine the parasite load at which animal performance begins to suffer. This information would be useful in helping to establish a threshold at which animals would benefit from deworming.
Year 1 research at site 1 commenced on April 1, 2022. Dairy heifers (n=51) were enrolled in the study after confirmation of pregnancy and assigned to one of two treatments: control or rotational grazing. Control heifers (n=25) were housed as one group on a single, 6-acre pasture consisting of mostly tall fescue and white clover. These heifers had continuous access to the entire 6-acre pasture for the duration of the season. A total mixed ration consisting of mostly corn silage, small grain silage, and hay was delivered to these heifers in the field once daily to meet nutritional requirements. Rotational grazing heifers (n=26) were housed as a single group on 20 acres of pasture, divided into 0.5-0.75 acre paddocks. Heifers were moved from one paddock to another approximately every 1-3 days and were fed a grain/mineral supplement once daily at a rate of 1 lb/head/day. Approximately 8 acres of this pasture was comprised of annual forages (triticale/ryegrass/oats/crimson clover as a winter annual grazed in spring/fall, sudangrass/cowpeas as a summer annual grazed in summer) and the remainder of the pasture consisted of perennial pasture that was mostly tall fescue. Heifers remained on their respective treatments until approximately 3 weeks before they were due to calve. Because heifers were enrolled and removed from the study according to their stage of pregnancy, the number of animals in each treatment was dynamic throughout the season. However, stocking rates were maintained equally between the control and grazing group so that at any given time, there was a similar number of heifers on each treatment. Heifers were weighed and measured (hip height, BCS) and manure samples were collected for fecal egg count analysis every 2 weeks throughout the study. The final weigh day and last day of grazing for 2022 was December 19, 2022. Preliminary data indicates that the parasite load for both groups of heifers was relatively low, but that heifers on the rotational grazing treatment had a numerically lower parasite load than heifers on the control treatment (9 vs. 16.5 eggs per gram). Final statistical analysis will be completed after Year 2 data are collected, but these preliminary data suggest that implementing rotational grazing can help reduce parasite pressure in dairy heifers.
Year 2 research at site 1 commenced on March 29, 2023. In 2023, a total of 59 heifers were used for the study (n=29 control; n=30 grazing). Methodology remained the same as the previous year (described above). Year 2 research at site 1 was completed on December 21, 2023. This wrapped up the data collection at this site. Moving forward into 2024, the project team will be working on compiling all of the data across the study years and completing the statistical analysis on this data.
Year 1 research at site 2 began on May 2, 2023. A total of 19 calves and 30 lambs were brought to the research farm from a local cooperator farm and were rotationally grazed as two mixed species herds. The perennial group (n=15 lambs; n=9 calves) was rotationally grazed on approximately 12 acres of perennial, cool-season grass pasture comprised of mostly orchardgrass, clover, and alfalfa. The perennial/annual group (n=15 lambs; n=10 calves) was rotationally grazed on approximately 13 acres of pasture, part of which was perennial cool-season grass pasture (same forage species as perennial group) and part of which was planted into annual forages for grazing. The portion of the pasture containing annual forages was rotated between winter annuals and summer annuals; while not a main goal of this project, a number of different annual forage mixtures were included to be able to evaluate which annual mixtures performed better and/or were more preferred by the grazing animals. Both groups of animals were weighed and assessed (BCS, FAMACHA score for the lambs) and manure samples were collected for fecal egg count analysis every 2 weeks throughout the study. The original plan was to graze both groups of animals into December; unfortunately, in 2023 there was a fairly severe drought in the area for a good portion of the summer. Due to limited forage growth and a lack of forage for grazing, the final weigh day and last day of grazing for 2023 was September 26, 2023. The project team is working on some preliminary data analysis for 2023, and year 2 research at site 2 is expected to begin in April 2024.
Education
Engagement
Farms will be recruited to participate in the program through the University of Maryland Extension email lists, newsletters, agents, and social media pages, as well as interactions at meetings, events, or presentations when appropriate. We will provide one-on-one to 30 individual farms to help them implement two or more alternative parasite management strategies. We will also host four on-farm field day events and one open-house field day event at one of the research sites to discuss parasite management strategies and highlight one or more of these strategies in-practice at host-farm. We expect approximately 25 participants for each on-farm field day and 50 participants for the open-house field day at one of the research sites (150 participants in total). All participants will be provided a binder with support materials.
The 30 farms selected for one-on-one consultations will consist of cattle (~20, dairy or beef), horses (~5), and camelids or small ruminants (~5). Consultations will occur over 2 years (~15 farms per year). Producers interested in one-on-one consultations will be instructed to contact members of the project team for a phone interview to ensure a mutual understanding of the program in its entirety, including goals, potential benefits, and expectations. The project team will work with each farm to coordinate two consultations approximately 14-21 days apart. Two or more project team personnel will be present for each consultation to provide instruction, gather information for parasite management plan development, and collect manure samples for a fecal egg count reduction test. After the second consultation, each producer will receive a binder with an individualized parasite management plan with recommendations for their farm. Results from the fecal egg count reduction test will also be provided and include an individualized interpretation and suggested adjustments. These producers will have the opportunity to submit up to two manure samples for egg count analysis free of charge during the year after their one-on-one consultations. Project team members will continue to be available via phone, email, or text message to continue providing support during the adoption of proposed management changes and to help interpret fecal egg count results.
Learning
Participants in all events will be given instruction on each of five major areas related to parasite management. The 30 participants enrolled in the one-on-one consultations will have the benefit of having individualized, hands-on instruction tailored to their specific farm which will help them understand how they can apply these practices. The 150 field day participants will be provided instruction and support materials related to each of these areas and have the opportunity to observe and ask questions about specific practices implemented by each host farm.
- Pasture management: Farmers will gain an understanding of how pasture management impacts parasite load of animals. They will learn strategies to help reduce parasite load through changes in pasture management, including: adequate pasture rest, prevention of overgrazing, utilization of a multispecies grazing system, and forage selection.
- Parasite load: Farmers will gain an understanding of approaches used to assess the current parasite load of an animal or a group of animals. They will learn how to utilize fecal egg count analyses to help them determine if and when dewormer treatment may be necessary.
- Targeted deworming: Farmers will gain an understanding of how targeted administration of dewormers can preserve dewormer efficacy. They will learn how to determine which animals to deworm based on fecal egg count analysis, animal risk-factors, animal performance, and FAMACHA© score (when applicable).
- Dewormer selection and application: Farmers will gain an understanding of the different classes of dewormers and how errors associated with dewormer application can contribute to resistance. They will learn how to interpret product label instructions related to dose determination, route of administration, and residue warnings.
- Dewormer evaluation: Farmers will learn how to assess the effectiveness of the dewormers that they are using through the use of a fecal egg count reduction test. Instructions for completing this test will be demonstrated and assistance with result interpretation will be provided.
Evaluation
Assessment of knowledge gained by field day participants will be verified through post-event surveys administered on paper at the end of the event. Changes producers make to their parasite management as a result of this program will be documented by electronic distribution of follow-up surveys 6-12 months after the second consultation or attendance at a field day event.
Milestones
- Milestone 1 (Engagement): Farmers will be recruited to participate in one-on-one consultations during year 1.
- Proposed number of farmers: 15
- Actual number of farmers: 18
- What farmers learned or did: Farmers answered a short questionnaire to document their interest. Communication about the program in its entirety, including goals, potential benefits, and expectations for participation was carried out via email rather than a phone interview as was previously described.
- Proposed completion date: 5/1/2022
- Actual completion date: 6/24/2022
- STATUS: Completed
- Milestone 2 (Learning): Project team will complete one-on-one consultations for year 1.
- Proposed number of farmers: 15
- Actual number of farmers: 8
- What farmers learned or did: Farmers learned how to apply the components of a successful parasite management program on their farm. They learned how to administer dewormers appropriately and conduct a fecal egg count reduction test. Although 18 farms completed the questionnaire, it was difficult to coordinate a date for the evaluation with some of them. We will contact these farms again in 2023 to determine if they are still interested in participating in the program.
- Proposed completion date: 11/15/2022
- Actual completion date: 10/27/2022
- STATUS: Completed
- Milestone 3 (Engagement): Complete parasite management plan for year 1 participant farms.
- Proposed number of farmers: 15
- Actual number of farmers: 8
- What farmers learn or do: Farmers participating in year 1 received a individualized parasite management plan for their farm which included results and interpretation of their fecal egg count reduction test, recommendations from the project team, and materials to help them implement or modify parasite management practices on their farm. These plans were distributed in early 2023.
- Proposed completion date: 3/1/2023
- Actual completion date: 3/1/2023
- STATUS: Completed
- Milestone 4 (Engagement): Farmers will be recruited to participate in one-on-one consultations during year 2.
- Proposed number of farmers: 15
- Actual number of farmers: 3
- What farmers learn or do: Farmers answered a short questionnaire to document their interest. Communication about the program in its entirety, including goals, potential benefits, and expectations for participation was carried out via email. Initial engagement of farmers for this milestone was delayed due to the project PI having a baby and being off for maternity leave in early 2023. This milestone was unfortunately further delayed when the project PI left her position at UMD during the summer of 2023; since then, the project team has realigned responsibilities for this project and will continue moving forward with this milestone in 2024. The 3 farmers that had submitted the questionnaire in 2023 were contacted about the delay and the team will be following up with them in 2024 to determine if they are still interested in participating, while also recruiting additional interested participants.
- Proposed completion date (new): 5/1/2024
- STATUS: In progress
- Milestone 5 (Evaluation): Administer 12-month follow-up evaluation for year 1 farms.
- Proposed number of farmers: 15
- What farmers learn or do: Farmers will be asked to complete a 12-month follow-up survey to document changes in their parasite management as a result of their participation in the program. Due to the delays described above, year 1 farms did not receive a follow-up evaluation in 2023. However, the project team is working on getting ready to send out the evaluation to year 1 farms and will be completing this in early 2024.
- Proposed completion date (new): 11/15/2024
- STATUS: In progress
- Milestone 6 (Learning): Project team will complete one-on-one consultations for year 2.
- Proposed number of farmers: 15
- What farmers learn or do: Farmers will learn how to apply the components of a successful parasite management program on their farm. They will also learn how to administer dewormers appropriately and conduct a fecal egg count reduction test. Due to the delays described above, year 2 farm visits were not completed in 2023. However, the project team plans to complete these visits in 2024 and already has been in contact with a few farmers who are interested in participating in 2024.
- Proposed completion date (new): 11/15/2024
- STATUS: In progress
- Milestone 7 (Learning and Evaluation): Recruit participants and plan two on-farm field days during year 2.
- Proposed number of farmers: 50
- What farmers learn or do: Farmers will learn about the components of a successful parasite management program. They will also interact with the host farmer to learn about their experience. Knowledge assessment surveys will be administered immediately following each event. Due to the delays described above, on-farm field days did not occur during year 2 but the project team plans to complete these in 2024.
- Proposed completion date (new): 12/31/2024
- STATUS: In progress
- Milestone 8 (Engagement): Complete parasite management plan for year 2 participant farms.
- Proposed number of farmers: 15
- What farmers learn or do: Farmers will receive a parasite management plan for their farm which will include results and interpretation of their fecal egg count reduction test, recommendations from the project team, and materials to help them implement or modify parasite management practices on their farm. Due to the delays in completing year 2 one-on-one consultations, the resulting parasite management plans are also delayed.
- Proposed completion date (new): 3/1/2025
- STATUS: Not begun
- Milestone 9 (Learning and Evaluation): Recruit participants and plan two on-farm field days during year 3.
- Proposed number of farmers: 50
- What farmers learn or do: Farmers will learn about the components of a successful parasite management program. They will also interact with the host farmer to learn about their experience. Knowledge assessment surveys will be administered immediately following each event. Due to the delays described above, year 2 on-farm field days will be completed during 2024 and year 3 on-farm field days will be completed during 2025.
- Proposed completion date (new): 10/1/2025
- STATUS: Not begun
- Milestone 10 (Learning and Evaluation): Recruit participants and plan one open-house field day at one of the research sites during year 3.
- Proposed number of farmers: 50
- What farmers learn or do: Farmers will learn about the components of a successful parasite management program. An expert speaker on this topic will be invited and the event will include a tour and discussion about the research studies at site 1 and site 2. Knowledge assessment surveys will be administered immediately following each event. The project team is planning to have this field day at research site 2 during 2024 so this milestone will proceed as planned.
- Proposed completion date: 12/31/2024
- STATUS: In progress
- Milestone 11 (Evaluation): Administer 12-month follow-up evaluation for year 2 farms.
- Proposed number of farmers: 15
- What farmers learn or do: Farmers will be asked to complete a 12-month follow-up survey to document changes in their parasite management as a result of their participation in the program. Due to the delays in completing year 2 one-on-one consultations, the resulting follow-up evaluations are also delayed and will occur during 2025.
- Proposed completion date (new): 10/1/2025
- STATUS: Not begun
- Milestone 12 (Evaluation) Administer 6-12 month follow-up evaluation for participants in field days and open house during years 2 and 3.
- Proposed number of farmers: 150
- What farmers learn or do: Farmers will be asked to complete a 12-month follow-up survey to document changes in their parasite management as a result of their participation in the program.
- Proposed completion date: 10/1/2025
- STATUS: Not begun
- Milestone 13 (Learning and Evaluation): Recruit participants and give 2 outreach presentations at Maryland Extension Winter Meetings.
- Proposed number of farmers: 60
- What farmers learn or do: Final results obtained from both research studies completed as part of this project and the team's recommendations based on research findings will be presented to farmers. Knowledge assessment surveys will be administered immediately following each event.
- Proposed completion date: 1/15/2026
- STATUS: Not begun
Milestone Activities and Participation Summary
Educational activities:
Participation Summary:
Performance Target Outcomes
Target #1
54
1 change to their parasite management program
1080 animals, 2500 acres
Cost savings of $3/head/year
This project involves consulting with farmers individually regarding parasite management. Part of these consultations involves collecting and analyzing manure samples for signs of parasites before and after dewormer application. After the consultation visits (2 per farm), we provide each farm with a 3-5 page individualized parasite management report with suggestions for making improvements as well as additional resource literature.
To date, 8 individual farms have participated in the program. These farms consist of beef cattle (n=3), sheep (n=1), dairy cattle (n=1), goats (n=1), and a mixture of sheep and cattle (n=2). Together, these farms collectively manage ~665 animals (365 cattle, 260 sheep, 40 goats). A total of 18 farms completed an interest form in 2022; the farms that we were not able to reach in 2022 will be contacted to see if they are still interested in 2024. One of the benefits of this program targeting multiple livestock species has been our ability to make parasite management recommendations for farms who have more than one species on site. For example, 2 of the 8 farm participants housed both cattle and sheep, and we were able to evaluate parasite programs for both species simultaneously. Furthermore, four of the farms we worked with had large enough herd/flock sizes to enable us to test the efficacy of multiple dewormers, which allows for a more informative parasite management report and recommendations. Individual reports were finalized and sent to these producers in early 2023. The follow-up surveys to year 1 participants will be sent out in spring 2024 to document learning outcomes and long-term impacts or changes that have been made. These surveys have been approved by the University of Maryland IRB and are ready to be distributed to our participants.
Additional farms are being recruited to participate in the one-on-one consultation part of this project for 2024. The project team has been in touch with several producers who are interested in participating and will start advertising and reaching out to other potential farms in March 2024.
In addition to the one-0n-one consultations, we anticipate holding 2 on-farm field days and one field day at the research site during 2024. At each of these events, the project team will use a survey to document knowledge gain from those participants following each program.