Performance of extensively raised cattle under various worm control schemes, in the Pantanal Matogrossense, Brazil

Abstract

The effect of worm control on live weight gain of extensively raised beef cattle in the Pantanal Matogrossense region was checked using 40 animals, from two to 30 months of age, separated into four groups, submitted to the following treatments: A - control; B - drenched only at weaning; C - drenched at two-month intervals between September and March, after weaning; and D - drenched at two-month intervals from two months of age onwards. Levamisol Chlorhydrate was administered at 75% via parenteral, at the dose of 1 ml per 20 kg of life weight, considering average weight of animals within group. Analysis of variance of the data showed that treatments did not significantly influence animal development, and that the sex factor was significant at the 1% level. It is concluded that in extensively raised cattle at low levels of parasitism, anti-helminthic treatment did not produce significant effect on weight gain.