Short Communication: Birdsfoot trefoil as a preventative treatment for gastrointestinal nematodes in pastured dairy heifers

ShepleyE.,; VasseurE.,; BergeronR.,; VilleneuveA.,; LachanceS.,

doi:10.4141/cjas-2014-169

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 17 publications

(16 reference statements)

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“…It has also been found that lambs grazing forages that contained CT had a reduction in FEC (Niezen et al, 1998). Other research has suggested that BFT may reduce FEC in dairy heifers (Shepley et al, 2015). The results of the current study do not agree with the findings of these previous studies.…”

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confidence: 99%

The effects of organic grass and grass-birdsfoot trefoil pastures on Jersey heifer development: Heifer growth, performance, and economic impact

Hadfield

Waldron

Isom

et al. 2021

Journal of Dairy Science

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Dairy heifers developed in certified organic programs, especially those utilizing pasture-based management schemes, have lower rates of gain than heifers raised in nonorganic confinement production systems in temperate climates, such as in the Intermountain West region of the United States. This study investigates the effects that different forages in a rotational grazing system have on development of organically raised Jersey heifers. Over 3 years, 210 yearling Jersey heifers were randomly assigned to one of 9 treatments, including a conventional confinement control where animals were fed a total mixed ration or one of 8 pasture treatments: Cache Meadow bromegrass (Brumus riparius Rehmann), QuickDraw orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata L.), Amazon perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), or Fawn tall fescue (Schendonorus arundinaceus [Schreb.] Dumort) and each individual grass interseeded with birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L., BFT). Each treatment had 3 blocks/yr over the 3-yr period, with each block having a 0.4 ha pasture of each treatment. Every 35 d, over a 105-d period, heifers were weighed and measured for hip height, and blood samples were collected to determine serum insulin-like growth factor-1 and blood urea nitrogen concentrations. Fecal egg counts were also assessed. Heifer body weight (BW), blood urea nitrogen, and insulin-like growth factor-1 concentrations were affected by treatment when analyzed over time. Heifers on grass-BFT pastures had increased BW compared with heifers on monoculture grass pastures. Heifers receiving a total mixed ration or perennial ryegrass+BFT had increased BW gain over the 105-d period compared with heifers grazing tall fescue+BFT, orchard grass, perennial ryegrass, meadow bromegrass, or tall fescue. Individually for all grass species, heifers grazing +BFT pastures had greater ending BW and weight gain than heifers grazing the respective grass monocultures. Furthermore, weight gain for heifers on perennial ryegrass+BFT, meadow bromegrass+BFT, and orchard grass+BFT were not different from those on a total mixed ration. Heifers grazing grass-BFT pastures had increased blood urea nitrogen compared with heifers grazing monoculture grass pastures. Heifer hip height and fecal egg counts were not affected by treatment. These results show that the addition of BFT to organic pasture improves growth of grazing replacement heifers. Economic analyses also demonstrate that interseeding grass pastures with BFT results in an increased economic return compared with grazing monoculture grass pastures. Grass pastures interseeded with BFT may be a sustainable option to achieve adequate growth of Jersey heifers raised in an organic pasture scenario in a temperate climate.

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confidence: 99%

The effects of organic grass and grass-birdsfoot trefoil pastures on Jersey heifer development: Heifer growth, performance, and economic impact

Hadfield

Waldron

Isom

et al. 2021

Journal of Dairy Science

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“…The challenge posed by drug resistance urgently requires the development of effective alternatives, aiming at reducing the reliance on anthelmintics and lowering the selection pressure for AR on the still-effective drugs (Waller and Thamsborg, 2004 ; Sykes, 2010 ). Among other methods, the use of bioactive plants with direct in vivo anthelmintic activity has shown promise as a complementary parasite control strategy in small ruminants (reviewed by Hoste et al 2006 , 2015 ), but comparable evidence in large ruminants is scarce (Sandoval-Castro et al 2012 ; Shepley et al 2015 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Anthelmintic effects of forage chicory (Cichorium intybus) against gastrointestinal nematode parasites in experimentally infected cattle

et al. 2016

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Two experiments studied the effects of dietary chicory against gastrointestinal nematodes in cattle. In Experiment (Exp.) 1, stabled calves were fed chicory silage (CHI 1 ; n = 9) or ryegrass/clover hay (CTL 1 ; n = 6) with balanced protein/energy intakes between groups. After 16 days, all calves received 10 000 Ostertagia ostertagi and 66 000 Cooperia oncophora thirdstage larvae (L3) [day (D) 0 post-infection (p.i.)]. In Exp. 2, calves were assigned to pure chicory (CHI 2 ; n=10) or ryegrass/ clover (CTL 2 ; n = 10) pastures. After 7 days, animals received 20 000 O. ostertagi L3/calf (D0 p.i.) and were moved regularly preventing pasture-borne infections. Due to poor regrowth of the chicory pasture, CHI 2 was supplemented with chicory silage. At D40 p.i. (Exp. 1) and D35 p.i. (Exp. 2) calves were slaughtered for worm recovery. In Exp.1, fecal egg counts (FEC) were similar between groups. However, O. ostertagi counts were significantly reduced in CHI 1 by 60% (geometric mean; P < 0·01), whereas C. oncophora burdens were unaffected (P = 0·12). In Exp. 2, FEC were markedly lowered in CHI 2 from D22 p.i onwards (P < 0·01). Ostertagia ostertagi adult burdens were significantly reduced in CHI 2 by 66% (P < 0·001). Sesquiterpene lactones were identified only in chicory (fresh/silage). Chicory shows promise as an anti-Ostertagia feed for cattle and further studies should investigate its on-farm use.

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“…In their review of temperate forages containing secondary compounds, Ramirez-Restrepo and Barry (2005) concluded that birdsfoot trefoil and chicory were among the most promising alternatives. More recently, we reported that heifers receiving a daily allowance of birdsfoot trefoil as a supplement to pasture did not show an increase over time in their fecal egg count, compared with heifers that did not receive a supplement (Shepley et al, 2015). Although it has been suggested that condensed tannins are the active compounds behind the anthelmintic effect of these alternative forages, other factors may be involved (Athanasiadou and Kyriazakis, 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Feeding preferences and voluntary feed intake of dairy cows: Effect of conservation and harvest time of birdsfoot trefoil and chicory

Lombardi

Vasseur

Berthiaume

et al. 2015

Journal of Dairy Science

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Bioactive forages contain compounds, such as tannins, that are active against pathogens. They have been successfully used in ruminants to control parasite infections. Because cattle may find bioactive forages unpalatable, it is of interest to know if an afternoon harvest time, which has been shown to increase the percentage of nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC), hence palatability, may mitigate this. The objectives of this study were to quantify voluntary intake and preference of dairy cows for 2 bioactive forages, harvested in the morning and evening, in addition to determining their time spent grazing on each forage species. The forage species evaluated were fresh chicory harvested at 0700 h (FCAM) and 1800 h (FCPM), fresh birdsfoot trefoil harvested at 0700 h (FBAM) and 1800 h (FBPM), birdsfoot trefoil baleage harvested the previous summer at 0700 h (BBAM) and at 1800 h (BBPM), and third-cut alfalfa baleage harvested the previous summer and used as control (CON). Single forages were offered ad libitum in 30-min tests to 14 dairy cows to determine intake in a 7 × 7 Latin square (experiment 1). Every possible pair of forages (21 pairs) was then presented for a 30-min test to 8 different dairy cows, and feed intake was measured (experiment 2). Finally, time spent grazing on chicory and birdsfoot trefoil was measured on 12 dairy cows (experiment 3). The tests consisted of 2 d of restriction on 1 of the 2 fields for 1h, and 2 d of free-choice sessions (1h) between the 2 fields adjacent to each other. Grazing time and location of the animals on the field was assessed through 2-min scan sampling. In experiment 1, the highest voluntary intakes were for CON, BBPM, and BBAM. In experiment 2, BBPM was preferentially consumed over all other forages followed by CON and BBAM. Multidimensional scaling showed that preference for BBPM, CON, and BBAM in dimension 1 was positively associated with dry matter and nitrogen content, and negatively associated with hemicellulose and soluble N/total N. No relationships between dimension coordinates and any of the measured chemical composition variables could be found for the other 2 dimensions. In experiment 3, cows spent 71% of their time grazing in the birdsfoot trefoil field and 23% in the chicory field during the free-choice sessions. In conclusion, cows in the present experiments showed an overall preference toward baled forages compared with fresh forages, most notably toward birdsfoot trefoil baleage. Cow preference did not appear to be linked to harvest time (a.m. vs. p.m.).

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Short Communication: Birdsfoot trefoil as a preventative treatment for gastrointestinal nematodes in pastured dairy heifers

Cited by 4 publications

References 17 publications

The effects of organic grass and grass-birdsfoot trefoil pastures on Jersey heifer development: Heifer growth, performance, and economic impact

The effects of organic grass and grass-birdsfoot trefoil pastures on Jersey heifer development: Heifer growth, performance, and economic impact

Anthelmintic effects of forage chicory (Cichorium intybus) against gastrointestinal nematode parasites in experimentally infected cattle

Feeding preferences and voluntary feed intake of dairy cows: Effect of conservation and harvest time of birdsfoot trefoil and chicory

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