Technologies- La Niña

(Livestock Sector)

Parasite control should be practiced during prolonged rain or onset of La Niña. Enormous losses have been accounted for by parasitism. These include loss of weight, reduced milk production, loss from condemnation of organs or whole carcass, poor feed conversion efficiency, poor reproductive performance, and secondary decreases of body resistance to bacterial and viral infection.

Requirements for Adoption

a. Minimum

• dewormer (herbal and broad acting anthelmintic)

• covered shed with concrete flooring

• forages and grasses

• water

b. Support System

• vitamin-mineral-electrolyte supplementation

• improved management procedure in terms of housing and nutrition

c. Equipment/Information

• different herbal medicines that could be used and how to use these

• available chemical dewormers

Advantages

• helps in improving the productivity of the animals

Limitations

• cost of dewormers

Recommendations

• Deworm animals using a broad-acting dewormer (albendazole) or herbal dewormers (kakawate [Gliricidia sepium], neem [Azadirachta indica A. Juss], panyawan [Tinospora ruphii]) that farmers have proven to be effective in animals before the onset of rain. Let the animals stay in the shed. This will lessen the chances for animals to graze on pastures, especially on areas near the swamp where the intermediate host thrives

• Practice the cut- and -carry system of feeding the animals.

• Ensure that clean water is always readily available to the animals.

• Control intermediate hosts such as snails, ants, earthworms, beetles, cockroaches, and flies to break the parasitic cycle of the parasites.

• Observe proper sanitation and hygiene measures of the host habitat to control or eradicate vulnerable stages of the parasitic life cycle in the barn.

• Deworm herd one month after a heavy rain.

• Make the stall slope and the floor concrete for easy cleaning of the barn.

• Prevent stagnation of water.

• Bacteria, protozoa, and parasites thrive in stagnant water.

• Remove wastes regularly from the barn.

• Supplement animals with vitamin-mineral-electrolyte for higher resistance against stress.

Possible Areas of Application

• all regions of the country

Dysfunctional Consequences

• no dysfunctional consequences

Sources of Technology

• farmers

• researchers

Reference

PCARRD. Philippines Recommends for Animal Health Care. Los Baños, Laguna, 1998.