Relationship between faecal egg count and health status in Nguni goats reared on semi-arid rangelands

Gastrointestinal parasitism is a major constraint to goat productivity, particularly in resource-limited production systems. The objective of the study was to determine the relationship between faecal egg count and the health status of different classes of Nguni goats. Body condition score (BCS), packed cell volume (PCV), FAMACHA score, and faecal egg count (FEC) were measured in 120 goats of different classes (weaners, does and bucks) across seasons. The identified gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) were Strongyloides (30 %), Haemonchus contortus (28 %), Trichostrongylus sp. (23 %), Oesophagostomum sp. (17 %) and Ostertagia (2 %), which showed higher prevalence at the hot-wet season compared to other seasons. An interaction (P<0.05) between class and season on BCS was observed. Lower PCV were observed in weaners (24.6 ± 0.79) in the post-rainy season, whereas does 27.4 ± 0.86 and bucks (29.3±1.03) had the highest PCV in the same season. Higher FAMACHA scores were observed in the hot seasons for all goat classes, while lower in the cool-dry season. Linear relationships between FAMACHA scores and FEC were observed in all seasons. The rate of change in FAMACHA score was higher in the post-rainy season (P<0.01) than in other seasons as FEC increased in weaners and does. Bucks had a higher rate of change in FAMACHA in the hot-wet season (P<0.0001) as FEC increased. The rate of BCS decline was higher in the post-rainy season in weaners and does (P<0.01) and bucks (P<0.05) than in other seasons. The decline in PCV was faster during the wet than in the dry seasons. It can be concluded that class and season affected BCS, FAMACHA, and PCV. A linear relationship between FEC and FAMACHA score suggests that FAMACHA could be a good indicator of GIN burden.