Comparison of Lungworm Infection in a Herd of Young and Dairy Goats at an Organic Farm

Abstract

Abstract The prevalence and intensity of infection of the lungworm Muellerius capillaris in dairy and young goats were evaluated at one organic farm in the Czech Republic. A total of 605 faecal samples were collected from rectum of thirty selected dairy and thirty young goats; each individual was examined monthly throughout a year. Data were statistically evaluated to verify the existence of differences in values of larvae count per gram (LPG) in dairy and young goats. Further, dairy goats were divided into three groups depending on the number of lactations and the differences in LPG values between groups were statistically evaluated. The species M. capillaris was the only lung parasite identified during our study with an overall prevalence 87.2 % and 93.1 % for young goats and dairy goats, respectively. The difference in the larvae count between young and dairy goats was not statistically significant. The comparison of larvae counts in goat groups depending on the number of lactation showed significant differences between dairy goats on the first and second lactation and between goats on the second and third lactation (P < 0.05) contrary to larvae count between goats on the first and third lactation.