The use of the morantel sustained release bolus in second-season grazing cattle

The efficacy of the morantel sustained release bolus in controlling gastrointestinal helminth infection in second-season grazing cattle was investigated on a total of seven farms in southeast England. On each farm only animals which had grazing experience from the previous summer pasturing season were used. The animals on each farm were allotted into two equal groups and turned out onto divided pastures of equal size. All the cattle in one group received a bolus at turnout while the cattle in the other group remained as nontreated controls. Assessment of the efficacy of treatment was based on comparisons of faecal worm egg output, herbage larval counts, weight gain, and the incidence of clinical parasitic gastroenteritis during the grazing season. Use of the morantel sustained release bolus led to the cessation of worm egg excretion in bolus-treated cattle during the early part of the grazing season thereby preventing a subsequent buildup of infective larvae on pasture. Although the overall results from worm egg and herbage larval counts demonstrated little measurable effect of treatment, clinical parasitic gastroenteritis was prevented in two trials where control animals became clinically affected by parasitism. Overall, the bolus-treated animals outperformed the controls by a mean of 15.1 kg (P less than 0.001).