5. Práctica Empresarial
5.3 Actividades
155
First steps
This research started on 1 November 2013 with a literature review. Since then, two meetings with the dairy goat farmers group have taken place. During these meetings the farmers were asked to formulate their ideas and wishes concerning the welfare protocol. An effort was made to integrate these findings into the protocol. The protocol is now complete and was applicated in sixteen organic dairy goat herds during November 2014 – January 2015. An economic herd overview (= benchmark) of those herds was already made during September/October 2014.
Contact:
• Jo Vicca, [email protected]
• Wim Govaerts, [email protected]
Partner:
Organic Farmers’ network dairy goats (Johan Devreese, i.o.v Bioforum Vl.) en Koen Dhoore (Landwijzer)
Funding: PWO (Project based scientific research), University College
Odisee (1/11/13 - 30/4/16)
Coccidiosis, one of the most important diseases of young stock on goat and cattle farms, can delay growth and lower milk production later in life. Almost all dairy goat farms are more or less affected, in some cases with serious economic damage. Coccidia (Eimeria spp.) are single-celled parasites that are taken up from the environment and then penetrate the intestinal cells and multiply there, damaging the intestinal cells. This can cause acute symptoms such as bloody diarrhea and emaciation. However, an infection can also be present without acute symptoms (subclinical coccidiosis). Because of the intestinal damage, nutrients may be less efficiently absorbed and growth delay occurs. Economic consequences in the longer term are caused by a lower productivity due to reduced growth.
Better growth with herbal feed supplement
During a prior project on phytotherapy, an herbal feed supplement was tested on goat kids during 3 months to see if it had an impact on infection with coccidia. Growth of the goat kids was significantly better in the group that received the herbs than the growth of those in the control group. After three months the mean weight difference was 4kg.
The Flemish organic dairy goat farmers were interested to find out if this weight difference could also be translated in a better performance during the first lactation. The kids that participated in the earlier trial were therefore monitored during 7 months after their first kidding.
Monitoring first lactation
Before the start of the kidding season the goats were weighed. The goats from the herbal group were still heavier and retained the weight difference during lactation.
The age at kidding of the goats of the herbal group was 381 days old, while the mean kidding date was 16 days later in the control group.
Milk production was monitored during 7 months. Early in lactation, the goats in the herbal group produced 0.4 litres per day more than the control group. This difference was reduced towards the end of the monitoring period. Because there was a difference in kidding date between the groups, milk production was calculated within the same period, namely between day 46
Early growth in goat kids improves subsequent
milk production
and 120 after kidding. In this period the goats in the herbal group had a mean production of 388 litres, while the goats in the control group produced 344 litres. The 44-litre difference was statistically significant.
Is supplementation economically relevant?
A higher milk production also means more farm income. During the trial period the milk price was €0.75 per litre, which means a surplus income of €33 per goat. This was more than enough to cover the cost of the herbal supplement (€7 per goat).
Even when accounting for higher feed costs associated with higher milk production, the cost of the herbal supplement is still acceptable due to the better youth growth and subsequent increase in milk production.
Contact:
• Luk Sobry, [email protected] • Wim Govaert, [email protected]
Partner: Wim Govaerts & Co cvba, Hooibeekhoeve
Funding:
CCBT project ‘Coccidiosis in goat lambs and calves’ (2011) and
CCBT project ‘Follow up of the Coccidiosis project: impact of the growth advantage of goat kids in later production periods’ (1/4/12 - 31/12/13) (Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Government of Flanders)
More info: www.CCBT.be/projecten, Kruidenleverancier: http://biomuehle- kraeuter.de/
complet ed
Gastrointestinal parasites affect animal health and leads to production losses in ruminants, including significant decreases in milk production. Parasitism leads to both direct and indirect losses and result in several symptoms: diarrhea, weakness, decline of growth, anemia and in severe cases, even death. Animals get infected by ingesting infectious larvae located on the grass. Non-organic farms avoid infections by applying zero- grazing management, or by preventively administering anthelmintics when grazing is applied. Organic farmers are legally bound to provide access to pasture, however, and can only use anthelmintics for curative purposes. A workable alternative to traditional helmintics must be found.
Gastrointestinal parasitism in Flanders
To date, no data are available on the magnitude of gastrointestinal nematode infections in dairy goats in Flanders. Ten organic Flemish goat farms will be sampled in 2015 on a monthly basis. Fecal samples will be analysed to quantify the worm burden. Evolution of the infections will be monitored between February and November 2015. An EPG value (eggs per gram faeces) will be determined to estimate the amount of eggs present in the faeces. Co-proculture will be used to identify the worm species. Students at the University College Ghent’s Department of Agro and Biotechnology will help to collect and analyse the faecal samples.
Going native: can plants offer an alternative?
Phytotherapy or the use of extracts of natural origin is as old as mankind. However, the knowledge on the use of medical plants needs to be supported by scientific research. The lack of information from the field demonstrates the need for further research. Native plants (herbs and ligneous vegetation) will be screened for their possible anthelmintic properties. The first step will be a literature search. Agricultural plants that are easy to cultivate will be subject to an in vitro screening, using an easy-to-grow, commercially available nematode species. The most promising plants from the in vitro trial will then be tested in vivo.