Short Communication: Birdsfoot trefoil as a preventative treatment for gastrointestinal nematodes in pastured dairy heifers

Abstract

Bioactive forages, such as birdsfoot trefoil, may serve as an alternative to anthelmintic drugs in pastured dairy heifers. Differences in parasite burden and growth were examined between eight treatment heifers fed a birdsfoot trefoil mixture and nine control heifer fed alfalfa silage 45-min per day for 12 wk. A significant 3.8- to 9.4-fold reduction in fecal egg counts was observed for treatment heifers at weeks 5, 9, 11 and 12. No treatment effect was found for weight gain. Our results suggest that birdsfoot trefoil may reduce parasite fecal egg counts in pastured dairy heifers without detrimental impact on growth.