Correlations between hematological, parasitological patterns and animal performance of sheep supplemented with protected fat

• Published in: Boletim de indústria animal Vol. 67; no. 2; pp. 125 - 132
• Main Authors: Vivian Alves Costa Afonso, Ricardo Lopes Dias da Costa, Cecílio Viega Soares Filho, Eduardo Antonio da Cunha, Sílvia Helena Venturoli Perri, Fábio Luis Bonello, Caroline Marçal Gomes David
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Portuguese
• Published: Instituto de Zootecnia 01-02-2010
• Subjects: Haemonchus contortus; helmintos; ovinos; ácidos graxos poliinsaturados
• ISSN: 0067-9615; 1981-4100

The development of populations of gastrointestinal parasites resistant to antihelmintics has led to seeks new alternatives its control. Stimulation of natural immunity by means of animal nutrition has shown promising results in controlling nematodes in sheep. The addition of protected fat sources, containing essential fatty acids, may be an alternative due to many effects, among them, regulation of immunity expression and regulation of the inflammatory response by immune effectors. The aim of this study was to estimate correlations between haematological and parasitological patterns, animal performance through weight and body condition, under the influence of protected fat in ewes. Fifty Santa Ines sheep, in the final third of pregnancy or postpartum, in paddocks of Panicum maximum, received, individually, 200 g per day of concentrate, isonitrogenous and isocaloric diets, with or without the addition of protected fat. In general, except for total leukocytes and eosinophils, almost all of Pearson correlation coefficients of other variables were significant. However, the protected fat, in the amount offered, had no antihelmintic effect.