AVALIAÇÃO DA INFESTAÇÃO DE ENDOPARASITAS GASTROINTESTINAIS NO AGROECOSSISTEMA GAVIÃO, PICUÍ- PB

Abstract

: The creation of small ruminants in northeastern Brazil is characterized by the strong presence of small family producers who adopt little technology and investments and who, in general, have other types of income that make sheep and goat farming a complementary activity. Goat and sheep production systems are of paramount importance for the sustainable development of arid and semi-arid regions, due to the fact that these environments subject enormous risks of failure to agricultural activities due to the link to climatic and sanitary conditions, which can highlight the high prevalence of gastrointestinal verminoses that cause significant losses with reduced production. The objective of this work was to evaluate the infestation of gastrointestinal endoparasites in view of the management used in the hawk agrosystem that exclusively uses phytotherapic vermifuges. The work was carried out in the Gavião agrosystem in the municipality of Picuí, Paraíba, which has been in the process of transition and implementation of agroecological techniques since 2005, 14 sheep without defined breed were analyzed and feces samples were collected to determine the number of eggs per gram of feces (OPG) and whole blood for hematocrit and application of the questionnaire to assess health management. Of the 14 samples collected, we had a variation in OPG from 0 to 630 and we found a hematocrit between 32% and 18%. Only 2 animals showed a moderate infestation rate with an OPG of 600 and 630, all of them below 6 months. Sanitary care along with good practices and sanitary management proved to be effective mainly in adult animals. In the period studied, the Gavião agroecosystem sheep older than six months had low infestation rates of gastrointestinal endoparasites and hematocrit within the parameters, but in individuals younger than six months, 2 had moderate infestation rates and one hematocrit below the reference value.