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One of the most challenging problems facing the owners of livestock, and small ruminants in particular, is that of internal parasites like barber pole worms.
At one time, we thought this problem was a thing of the past when anthelminthic drugs like fenbendazole and ivermectin were developed. However, this reprieve was short-lived as parasites soon developed resistance to these new tools. Some innovative producers are now turning to nature’s way of reducing internal parasite burdens on their livestock: Grazing management that reduces parasite infestation, and using pasture plants that contain compounds that are antagonistic to the worms.
Intestinal parasites typically have a life cycle in which the grazing animal ingests parasitic larvae that have crawled from manure onto an adjacent forage plant. Inside the animal, the larvae develop into adults and shed eggs that are deposited back onto the pasture via manure to produce new larvae.
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