Abstract:
Parasites were collected from 160 Angora goats and kids on the
Jansenville Experimental Farm, Eastern Cape Province. Six nematodes were
identified to species level and three to generic level. Nematodirus
spathiger was the most numerous of the economically important nematodes
recovered. It was always present, and fourth stage larvae were collected
from untreated goats from August to March, while animals used as tracers
also picked up most infection from August to March. Kids born on the
farm during October acquired their first nematode infections between 2
and 3 months of age and the intensity of infection increased erratically
thereafter to reach a plateau once the kids were 14 months of age. Eight
of the nine kids between 3 and 5 months of age and examined between January
and March were infected with Moniezia expansa. Five ixodid tick species
were collected from the goats of which Rhipicephalus glabroscutatum was
the most numerous and prevalent. Its immature stages were present mainly
from March to September and adults from July to January. The goats also
harboured the biting louse Damalinia limbata and the sucking louse
Linognathus africanus. The greatest intensity of infestation with L.
africanus occurred on the kids during the first few months of their
lives. The larvae of the nasal bot fly, Oestrus ovis were present in
kids at 1 month of age, and infestation took place mainly from spring to
late summer.
