Parasitic Infections of West African Dwarf Goats and their Saanen Crosses in a Zero-Grazing Farming System in The Gambia

Abstract

Twenty West African Dwarf goats (WADs) and 15 Saanen x WAD crosses were managed in an intensified, zero-grazing farming system in an area with low to moderate tsetse challenge in The Gambia. During a period of one year, monthly samples were collected to monitor the helminth egg (EPG) and coccidia oocyst outputs (OPG) per gram of feces, the packed cell volume (PCV), and trypanosome parasitemia in the goats. High OPGs were found from September to December, resulting in a preweaning mortality rate of 20% in both breeds. The animals were moderately infested with helminths from the middle of the rainy season until early dry season. Trypanosome infections were not detected in WADs, neither were they in the crossbred goats using the buffy coat technique. The average birth weights of crossbred and WAD kids were 2.4 and 2.0 kg, respectively. The growth rate of crossbred kids was significantly higher than that of local kids. The preweaning growth rates of crossbred and WAD kids were 114.75 and 65.57 g/day, whereas the postweaning growth rates were 58.82 and 36.41 g/day, respectively. The fast growth rate of crossbred goats compared to WAD goats indicates that rearing Saanen x WAD crosses in a zero-grazing system can increase productivity. Strict hygiene in the goat sheds, however, is essential to avoid coccidiosis outbreaks.