By Richard Ehrhardt, Michigan State University Extension Specialist, Small Ruminants

The health and productivity of sheep and goats in perennial pasture grazing systems are often limited by a combination of forage quality and gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) infection. This is particularly evident in lactating dams and their offspring, who are at greater risk of GIN infection due to their lower immunity compared to non-lactating adults. Alternating the grazing episodes/bouts of these susceptible animals with either machine harvesting of the forage or grazing with less susceptible animals or species (cattle, for example) is a strategy to maintain forage quality while reducing infection risk. Another effective method is to integrate the use of annual forages into a grazing program. Annuals c

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