BioWorma® ineffective after 98 days
The objective of a recent Virginia study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a natural fungus, Duddingtonia flagrans (Bioworma®) in reducing gastro-intestinal nematode (GIN) loads in lactating meat goat does.
Thirty-eight late gestating Spanish and Myotonic does were utilized. They were dewormed approximately 2 weeks before to kidding and before the start of feeding of BioWorma® with levamisole and moxidectin. Deworming reduced fecal egg counts by 97%.
Does were allocated to two treatment groups (n = 19/group), split into 3 replications per treatment and placed on six pasture paddocks (n = 6/7 per paddock). They were fed corn and soybean meal supplement at 1.5% of their body weight with or without BioWorma® daily until weaning. BioWorma® was added to the ration based on the manufacturer’s recommended dose of 0.066 g/kg and on the weight of the heaviest doe. Hay was offered throughout the study.
Body weight, body condition, and FAMACHA© scores were determined every 2 weeks for 98 days. Blood and fecal samples were collected to determine packed cell volume (PCV) and fecal egg count (FEC). Feces were cultured to identify larvae. There was a mixed population of worms throughout the study, averaging 70.3%, 7.7%, and 2.0% for Haemonchus contortus, Tricostrongylus spp., and Oesphagostomum spp., respectively.
In this study, BioWorma® supplementation had no impact on body weights, body condition scores, FAMACHA© scores, or packed cell volume. There was also no effect of treatment on fecal egg count.
BioWorma® supplementation in a highly susceptible group of lactating does had no influence on GIN indicators. Additional research is needed to confirm the efficacy of Duddingtonia flagrans in controlling GIN and how best to incorporate it into current on-farm parasite control strategies.