A promising option to control internal parasites of goats and sheep is to feed sainfoin. Sainfoin is a legume with excellent nutritional values which also contains specific secondary metabolites (condensed tannins) which have an activity against parasites. In Switzerland, the integration of sainfoin feeding (hay, silage) into parasitism control systems is already well developed and is being used extensively by goats and sheeps farmers.
An important feedback from the practice (farmers) is that the sainfoin utilization in the form of pellet would be much more convenient (less heavy, more proteins etc.). In 2015, applied trials (on-farm) with goats consuming organic sainfoin pellets were implemented in two areas of the Drôme Region (CCVD and CCCPS). This work is a continuation of the collaboration between the Syndicat Caprin de la Drôme (Goat breeding organization of Drôme), Biovallée and FiBL on the "integrated control of internal parasitism of goats2 started in 2014. The objectives of these tests are:
coordination
Project in collaboration with Project "Sainfoin – a valuable forage plant for the Swiss agricultural environment"
