Effects of koccidiae- and nematode infections in first-year grazing calves

Sammanfattning: Twenty-four calves, which had not grazed previously, were divided into four groups. They were subsequently inoculated orally with either E. alabamensis oocysts, O.ostertagi/C. oncophora larvae, or both. One group remained uninfected and was used as a control. Following inoculation the animals were released into clean, equal grazing paddocks. During the following 10 weeks, the calves were regularly weighed, and faeces samples were collected and examined for oocysts and eggs. After grazing season, the groups were statistically compared with respects to weight gain and degree of parasites in faeces. Clear clinical evidence of negative impact from E. alabamensis infection was found, alongside with a tendency for these individuals to gain less weight compared to uninfected or solely nematode infected calves.