Helminth Control as a Part of Animal Welfare Measure Protocol in Grazing Cattle in Slovenia

Ožbalt Podpečan (), Melita Hajdinjak and Janez Posedi
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Ožbalt Podpečan: National Centre for Animal Welfare, Clinic for Reproduction and Large Animals, Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Melita Hajdinjak: Laboratory of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Janez Posedi: Unit for Parasitology, Institute of Microbiology and Parasitology, Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

Agriculture, 2023, vol. 13, issue 5, 1-11

Abstract: The national regulation on animal welfare measure under the Rural Development Programme 2014–2022 identified grazing and helminth control as important measures to improve the welfare of cattle in Slovenia. The aim of the study was to evaluate these measures in terms of improving animal welfare and helminth control. Compositional fecal samples for coprological analysis were collected in the region of central Slovenia. Samples were qualitatively analysed for the presence of endoparasites using the flotation and sedimentation methods. During a seven-year period, 4480 compositional fecal samples were collected from cattle herds in the central Slovenia. In all seven years, the most prevalent helminths at the cattle herd level were Strongylida (ranging from 45.49% to 74.22%) and Paramphistomum sp. (ranging from 21.12% to 28.46%). After the treatments against helminths in grazing cattle, the prevalence of positive herds decreased from 83.63% to 63.64%. The calculated cross-correlation values showed significant positive association of the percentage of helminth-positive cattle herds with the prevalence of Fasciola hepatica (0.975), Nematodirus sp. (0.859), Strongylida (0.986), Strongyloides sp. (0.879) and Trichuris sp. (0.835). Hence, the efficient helminth control and improved animal welfare, as well as financial support of 53.40 EUR per livestock unit, contributed to a positive outcome of the programme.

Keywords: cattle; helminth control; animal welfare (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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