Mitigating drench resistance with nutrition

With drench resistance increasing and no sight of new drench actives, attention is turning to taking a more holistic approach to parasite management. Tools include strategic grazing practices, cropping alternatives, good nutrition, varying classes of livestock and/or interspecies for grazing paddocks and breeding more genetically parasite-resistant animals. Dung testing helps evidence-based decisions that support optimal animal health performance while upholding appropriate levels of animal welfare. Understanding alternatives is incredibly valuable. Nutrition is a crucially important long-term solution to mitigating drench resistance, which is rapidly reducing the effectiveness of our current arsenal of drenches against intestinal worms.

Key benefits of nutrition

Bolstered immune function

Livestock with worms need more protein to repair parasite-damaged gut tissues and increase the immune system’s production of defensive resources to combat the effects of parasites. Inadequate levels of feed protein when animals are under stress, such as during pregnancy or in growing youngstock, results in diversion of vital nutrients away from growth and wool production to fight the parasites. Overall, insufficient protein, vitamins, minerals, trace minerals, and even water, weaken the immune system, making it harder for animals to fight worm infestations and disease infections.

Improved resilience and recovery

Adequate nutrition also supports livestock being able to better utilise their feed efficiently. We all know that energy makes us gain weight but for young animals’ protein drives growth, which helps reach sale target weights earlier, while undergirding their immune response and repairing damages caused by worms.

Reduced contamination

A robust immune system can lead to shedding less worm eggs in faeces and therefore, significantly decreasing pasture contamination subsequently for future grazing.

Fewer unnecessary expenses

Healthier, better fed youngstock normally need fewer drench treatments, meaning reduced time and labour resources being tied up in mustering and yarding, with lesser risk of animals incurring handling injuries, exposure to dust or infections. Having a few cost-effective strategies in your toolkit is important. With increasing drench resistance among New Zealand livestock, there is no room for complacency. Productivity and profitability are cornerstones of any successful business, often hinging on surprisingly simple practices that are not cost prohibitive.

Drench resistance is not going on holiday

A multidiscipline approach is required now more than ever before. You can access tools and knowledge through your local Farmlands store and Technical Sales Officer, Agronomist or Nutrition Sales Specialist to support optimal parasite management practices linked to pasture growth, cropping and nutrition suited to your property and livestock.

Nutritional strategies in a parasite management toolbox

Parasites are one of the main causes of poor growth rates and reduced youngstock performance. Commonly between 85-90% of the total gastrointestinal worm population exists on pasture, but where worm numbers are only multiplied during the animal phase in more susceptible individuals.

Some fortifying keys in a worm management strategy toolbox:

• Grow youngstock quickly – with better nutrition to combat the effects of worms and because finishing stock reduces stocking density.
• Delay grazing recently cut hay or baleage paddocks to allow worm eggs and larvae resident in the pasture base to be exposed to the sun’s ultra violet rays.
• Autumn pastures characteristically carry the highest infective worm loads for the year, posing the greatest challenge levels to particularly youngstock as their immunity is still developing. Utilising the benefits of higher protein forage crops. Even in autumn the stable door is still open for evaluating the growing winter forage crops, let alone planning for next summer crops for growing on weaned lambs.
• Be sure to implement a thorough quarantine drench practice for any incoming livestock on to your property so that you do not import unwanted drench resistance.