Med. Weter. 73 (11), 694-697, 2017

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Wiktor Bojar, Tomasz M. Gruszecki, Andrzej Junkuszew, Paulina Dudko, Monika Greguła-Kania, Klaudiusz Szczepaniak, Maria Studzińska, Monika Roczeń-Karczmarz, Krzysztof Tomczuk, Joël Le Scouarnec, Michal Milerski
Influence of dietary supplementation with a formulation containing essential oils from Origanum vulgare and Citrus spp. as a means of prevention against invasions of gastrointestinal parasites in sheep
The aim of the study was to determine the efficiency of a formulation containing essential oils from Origanum vulgare (Lamiacea) and Citrus spp. (Citraceae) in limiting the prevalence and intensity of parasitic invasions in ewes kept in an indoor management system. The study material was a group of 222 mother ewes of Polish Lowland breed. During the entire experiment, the animals were kept in an indoor management system with uniform environmental conditions. On the basis of the parasitologic analysis, the flock was divided into three groups. All groups were uniform from the perspective of genetic traits, age and environmental conditions. The differentiating factor was the addition of a preparation containing essential oils from Origanum vulgare and Citrus spp. in the dose of 4 kg/ton of feed. Group 1 – control group, non-supplemented diet (74 mother ewes); Group 2 – supplemented diet from third month of pregnancy to lambing (73 mother ewes); Group 3 – supplemented diet from third month of pregnancy to weaning (75 mother ewes). The experiment involved parasitologic tests aimed at the determination of prevalence and intensity of invasions of gastrointestinal parasites in mother ewes. The study material was faeces collected from the rectum of mother ewes before the start of the experiment and on day 2, 28, 42, 56 and 70 after lambing. On the basis of the observations, it was shown that continuous use of the preparation during the whole experimental period had a beneficial impact on reducing the prevalence of invasions of Eimeria spp. and Capillaria. However, it must be stressed that both the prevalence and the intensity of parasitic invasions in the studied flock was relatively low, and so the use of such a preventive method was feasible.
Key words: sheep, essential oils, parasites