Abstract

With ever-growing drug resistance and significant global prevalence, gastrointestinal nematodes are an increasingly common cause of death on small ruminant and camelid operations, threatening the productivity and economic health of those industries. An alternative to traditional anthelmintics is an herbal feed additive called Early Bird. The formula includes constituents shown to be effective as nematicides, and addresses the comorbidities associated with acute and chronic parasitism. Thirty-six Huacaya alpacas of mixed genders and reproductive statuses were evaluated on the bases of reproductive demands, body condition score, FAMACHA score, and naturally occurring eggs per gram of multiple species on fecal testing, without any intervention. Daily feed delivery was dressed with the supplement in the form of a coarse powder rendered from twenty whole herbs, for a total dose of 500-2000mg/day over a 14 day period. This treatment was repeated a total of three times, with 14 days off between each treatment period. Alpacas were continuously evaluated for body condition score, FAMACHA score, quantitative fecal testing, and reproductive status. The population experienced an overall decrease in FAMACHA score, an overall increase in body condition score, and overall decrease in fecal egg counts of strongyle-type species. The percent of alpacas with a positive fecal egg count for strongyle-type eggs decreased from 33.02% to 2.44% during three treatment periods. Early Bird reduced strongyle eggs per gram and improved body condition score throughout the population during a time period of significant reproductive demands, eliminating the need for traditional anthelmintics.