Ostertagia ostertagi — also known as the brown stomach worm — is the most economically important parasite in cattle. An infection can reduce weight gain by up to 20 pounds per calf, and is estimated to cost the U.S. cattle industry $2 billion per year due to lost productivity and increased operating expenses.
“Parasites like the brown stomach worm place themselves in the best position to be ingested by cattle,” explained Stephen Foulke, DVM, DABVP, Boehringer Ingelheim. “They try to stay at the top of the grass blades during the day, and migrate back down to ground level overnight.”
An effective deworming program will start by eliminating the adult worms in the system, rendering them unable to shed eggs into the environment and establish a cycle of pasture reinfestation. A local veterinarian can help you determine the parasite load in your animals and on your pasture throughout the year, as well as adapt control methods to manage parasites in all weather conditions.
To best protect your herd from brown stomach worms and other costly parasites, consider deworming your herd with EPRINEX. The odor-free, pour-on formulation is convenient and even works in the rain, heat or freezing cold.
And when it comes to putting on pounds, EPRINEX outperforms them all. On average, animals treated with EPRINEX put on more bodyweight than leading competitor pour-ons.