The negative effects of external parasites are much more noticeable than those of internal parasites.

On top of the fact that calves must be parasite free if sold/transported, it can also lead to mortalities due to tick-borne diseases. If calves are not tick-free, the sale of calves at an auction can be refused.

Calves may have developed immunity to red water or gall sickness, but stress from the weaning process, transport and reduced feed intake can suppress their immunity to the point that they become ill - even if no ticks are visible on the calves.

It has also been found that the presence of ticks can suppress the appetite of cattle. If it coincides with weaning, it can further increase the weaning stress.

External parasites can have a detrimental effect on cattle performance - from reduced feed intake at one end to deaths at the other end of the scale.

The articles in the "management" series only aim to bring home the most important aspects of the production stage under discussion. If more in-depth information about a specific aspect is to be obtained, feel free to check whether there are other articles available under "related" articles.

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