The effect of birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) and white clover (Trifolium repens) in mixed pasture swards on incoming and established nematode infections in young lambs.

Lotus corniculatus L., a leguminous plant containing condensed tannins, is now being evaluated in Sweden as a component of mixed pastures. This is because of its high nutritive value, palatability, modest requirement for water, calcium and phosphorous and particularly because it has the ability to survive harsh weather conditions that typify northern Scandinavia. This trial was undertaken to assess the possible parasitological benefits of using L. corniculatus when fed as a minor component in a mixed pasture sward to young sheep. This was compared with similar sheep that were fed pasture with a comparable legume content consisting of Trifolium repens L. Separate groups of lambs, maintained in pens and provided with fresh pasture cuts containing either L. corniculatus or T. repens each day, were trickle-dosed with infective larvae of mixed parasite species. For each pasture type, groups of 6 lambs had either established worm burdens only, received incoming infections only, or had the combination of both adult and incoming infections. Worm burdens were monitored by serial faecal egg counts and at the termination of the study, all animals were slaughtered for worm recovery, identification and enumeration. The results showed that there were no differential effects between L. corniculatus and T. repens on the different stages of development for a range of nematode parasite species recovered from these lambs. Several reasons may account for this: such as the low level of condensed tannins in the L. corniculatus variety tested, the minor proportion of this plant in the diet and/or the variety of L. corniculatus used in this trial which do not provide any benefits to controlling parasites of sheep.