Integração na criação de bovinos e equinos e seus efeitos sobre a carga parasitária de ambas as espécies

Abstract

This work sought to evaluate the effectiveness of the use of alternating and mixed grazing between horses and cattle in order to reduce the parasitic load, thus seeking to reduce the use of anthelmintics in animals, reduce labor on the properties and improve sanitary management against parasites. To evaluate the infection of the animals and the contamination of the pasture, 10 adult mares of the Mangalarga Marchador breed and 10 heifers of the Brangus breed were used. They were kept in isolated paddocks, separated by a fence, for 46 days from June 30 to August 14. After this period, the fence was removed and the animals began to graze in the same areas for another 54 days. Every 14 days Egg counts per gram of feces (OPG) were performed. And to assess pasture contamination, pasture samples were collected on the same days as the OPG count. In the examination of feces it was possible to observe in the 2nd collection the bovines presented null count, differing (P<0.05) from the other periods. The highest average found for cattle was 95±92.6 on day 60. Meanwhile, the EPG count of horses did not differ between periods. They were elevated throughout the experimental period, with an average count of 913±76 throughout the experiment and on day 86 the horses had the highest OPG count (1200±1165). Even after the beginning of mixed grazing, from day 60 of the experiment, it was not possible to observe a reduction in the OPG count of the horses. Mixed grazing between cattle and horses, under the conditions of the present experiment, was not able to reduce the EPG of horses. Regarding the weight of the animals, the average initial weight of the cattle was 218.9 kg and the final one was 292 kg, obtaining an average gain of 73 kg by the end of the experimental period. While horses had an average starting weight of 419.9 kg and a final weight of 423.6 kg, an increase of 3.7 kg. Mixed grazing between cattle and horses, under the conditions of the present experiment, was not able to reduce the EPG of horses. Studies using mixed grazing between cattle and horses are not present in the literature, the same may have benefits in the control of parasites, but it will be necessary to take into account the animal behavior, in view of racial segregation and the size of the area in the search to analyze pasture contamination. There is a need for evaluations for prolonged periods, in areas with different sizes without harming the forage supply, evaluating the selectivity of the animals in grazing near the faecal cakes.