The influence of nutrition on the periparturient rise in fecal egg counts in dairy goats: results from a two-year study

The periparturient relaxation in immunity (PPRI) to nematode infection in e wes is well known and it is associated with a rise in faecal egg counts dur ing the periparturient period. In order to assess an eventual relationship between the PPRI and the nutritional status of periparturient females, a tw o-year study was carried out in a dairy goat flock On year 1, pregnant does were fed at 26 % below their energy (UFI) requirements and 5 % above their protein (PDI) ones during the last 3 weeks before parturition (week 0) and an increase in nematode egg counts occurred from week -2 to week +4 with a predominance of Oesophagostomum larvae in coprocultures. In year 2, two gr oups of pregnant goats were fed at about 100 % their energy requirements an d 28 and 44 % above the protein requirements respectively during the same p eriod. In this latter situation, no nematode egg count increase occurred in any of the two groups of animals, Teladorsagia and Trichostrongylus being the prevalent larval genera in coprocultures. As the study covered two cons ecutive years, the implication of several factors related to host physiolog y, parasite epidemiology and host nutrition are discussed.