Success StoryField Monitoring of Prevalence and Fecal Egg Counts in Kentucky Beef Cattle



Field Monitoring of Prevalence and Fecal Egg Counts in Kentucky Beef Cattle

Author: Jeffrey Lehmkuhler

Planning Unit: Animal and Food Sciences

Major Program: Beef

Outcome: Intermediate Outcome

Drs. Jeff Lehmkuhler and Michelle Arnold received funding from the Kentucky Beef Network to assist in a field study with Merck Animal Health on monitoring the prevalence of fecal eggs and the reduction post-treatment with anthelmintics in Kentucky beef cattle.   Groups of cattle were collected from 35 counties from across the state.  Extension ANR agents, KBN facilitators and the above specialists sampled 180 groups of beef cattle during 2023 and early 2024.  Nearly 7,000 fecal samples were collected and submitted to a private laboratory for fecal counting through this effort.  Specialists provided three webinars to discuss sampling procedures and the outcomes of the field study with ANR agents.  Additionally, meetings with producers have been conducted reviewing preliminary findings in Nelson, Grayson and Breckenridge counties.  David Coffey, ANR agent in Jackson county, utilized survey data collected from spring group managers as part of his Master’s program.   A poster presentation was accepted for the national American Society of Animal Science meeting in 2024 reviewing the survey information collected from 119 producers.  The outcomes of this effort will be utilized in developing materials to share with producers to assist in prolonging efficacy of anthelmintic products available currently.  This study was supported by county Extension demonstrating the value of collaboration between industry partners and Cooperative Extension to gather information essential to the health and wellbeing of cattle as well as the economic sustainability of beef farms in Kentucky from managing internal parasites.






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