Effect Of 'Au-Grazer' Sericea Lespedeza (Lespedeza Cuneata) From Two Different Sources On Indicators Of Gastrointestinal Parasitism In Goats

Abstract Sericea lespedeza (SL; Lespedeza cuneata) is considered a low input forage but has potential for improved animal performance with greater inputs. ‘AUGrazer’ SL hay grown under normal (NF; AL farm) or high-fertility (HF; SC farm) conditions were compared to a bermudagrass (BG; GA farm; Cynodon dactylon) hay diet in a 6-week feeding trial. Forty-five naturally parasite infected intact Spanish male goats 8–9 months old were used to investigate effects of NF (n = 15) and HF (n = 13) SL compared to BG hay (n = 13; CON) on indicators of gastrointestinal parasitism. Hay and water were provided free choice. A commercial goat pellet was provided at 1.5% average body weight. Treatments were assigned for similar initial gastrointestinal nematode fecal egg count [FEC; 5029, 4749 and 4456 eggs per gram (EPG) for HF and NF SL and CON goats, respectively]. At the start of the study and then weekly, fecal samples were collected for determination of FEC and coccidia fecal oocyst counts (FOC). Body weights were recorded at the start and end of the trial. Data were analyzed using MIXED procedures of SAS for repeated measures with inferences made on log-transformed data for FEC and FOC, and GLM used for gain data. Both FEC and FOC for NF and HF SL were different from CON at all time points after day 0 (P < 0.05). Final EPG were 949, 1411, and 3552 for HF and NF SL and CON goats, a reduction of 73.3% and 60.3% for HF and NF SL animals, respectively. Final OPG were 353, 1092, and 2417, with reductions of 85.4% and 54.8% for HF and NF SL goats, respectively. Average daily gain (ADG) was impacted by treatment, with HF SL higher (P < 0.001) than both NF SL and CON, which were similar. High-fertility SL improved animal performance while maintaining its anti-parasitic bioactivity.