TY - JOUR
T1 - Investigating the perceived versus actual gastrointestinal nematode challenge on extensive sheep farms.
AU - Geddes, Eilidh
AU - Morgan-Davies, Claire
AU - McLaren, Ann
AU - Skuce, P. J.
AU - Duncan, J M
AU - Sargison, Neil
AU - Kenyon, F.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was funded by the UKRI Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) grant number BB/T00875X/1 . FK, PJS and JMD were supported by funding from the Scottish Government’s RESAS Strategic Research Programme 2022–2027 . The authors would also like to thank the study farmers, questionnaire participants, and colleague, Adam Hayward (Moredun Research Institute) for their contributions to this study. For the purpose of open access, the author has applied a Creative Commons Attribution CC-BY licence to any Author Accepted Manuscript version arising from this submission.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Authors
PY - 2024/4
Y1 - 2024/4
N2 - Extensive farming systems form an integral part of sheep production systems across Europe. However, with innate production handicaps, declining sheep numbers and narrow economic margins, production is becoming increasingly challenging threatening the future sustainability of the industry. Gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs) are a significant cause of production losses to the global sheep industry, with well-established resistance to the major anthelmintic groups. Traditionally, extensive farming systems are not thought to have a significant parasite challenge compared with intensive farms, but there is a need to identify the scale and importance of GINs on extensive farms to inform the need for sustainable control strategies. In this study, a questionnaire of extensive farmers (n=34) was conducted and parasitological data were collected from nine study farms to investigate the perceived versus actual GIN and anthelmintic resistance challenge faced by extensive farms. The results showed a production-limiting challenge on most farms, with a higher GIN challenge observed on improved pastures. Furthermore, over half of the extensive farmers perceived anthelmintic resistance to be a greater problem for intensive farmers, with only 20% of respondents reporting known anthelmintic resistance. However, all study farms had evidence of resistance to at least one group of anthelmintics. Consequently, this study has demonstrated that despite the traditional perception of parasitism on extensive farms, there is a need to increasingly consider its impact and take a proactive approach to sustainable control, with solutions tailored to their unique management.
AB - Extensive farming systems form an integral part of sheep production systems across Europe. However, with innate production handicaps, declining sheep numbers and narrow economic margins, production is becoming increasingly challenging threatening the future sustainability of the industry. Gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs) are a significant cause of production losses to the global sheep industry, with well-established resistance to the major anthelmintic groups. Traditionally, extensive farming systems are not thought to have a significant parasite challenge compared with intensive farms, but there is a need to identify the scale and importance of GINs on extensive farms to inform the need for sustainable control strategies. In this study, a questionnaire of extensive farmers (n=34) was conducted and parasitological data were collected from nine study farms to investigate the perceived versus actual GIN and anthelmintic resistance challenge faced by extensive farms. The results showed a production-limiting challenge on most farms, with a higher GIN challenge observed on improved pastures. Furthermore, over half of the extensive farmers perceived anthelmintic resistance to be a greater problem for intensive farmers, with only 20% of respondents reporting known anthelmintic resistance. However, all study farms had evidence of resistance to at least one group of anthelmintics. Consequently, this study has demonstrated that despite the traditional perception of parasitism on extensive farms, there is a need to increasingly consider its impact and take a proactive approach to sustainable control, with solutions tailored to their unique management.
KW - Gastrointestinal nematode
KW - Anthelmintic resistance
KW - Sheep
KW - Extensive hill and upland farms
KW - Nemabiome
U2 - 10.1016/j.vetpar.2024.110148
DO - 10.1016/j.vetpar.2024.110148
M3 - Article
SN - 0304-4017
VL - 327
SP - 1
EP - 11
JO - Veterinary Parasitology
JF - Veterinary Parasitology
M1 - 110148
ER -