Advantages of antiparasitic treatrnents of Djallonke ewes at lambing

Abstract

Three groups of 14 Djallonke ewes each have been compared: group E received one antiparasitic treatment with Ivermectin®, or Valbazen® and Amprol® at lambing, group T₂ received three classical antiparasitic treatments with the same drugs according to the seasons (at the beginning and at the end of the long rainy season, and at the end of the short rainy season) group T₁ remained untreated. The onset of sexual activity occurred 71.5 ± 5.4 days (lot E), 74.5 + 6.3 (lot T₂) and 104.3 ± 10.3 (lot T₁) after lambing. So, intervals between lambings were 255.7 ± 11.8 (lot E), 245. 9 ± 13.5 (lot T₂) and 298.2 ± 24 (lot T₁). Lambing other characteristics were almost the same in the three groups: prolificacy 127- 137 %, weight at birth 1.2-1.4 kg, daily weight gains (O-90 days) 99-114 g and mortality 39-48 %. It seems economically more profitable to treat against interna1 parasites once at lambing rather than three times a year according to the seasons.