Influence of regular tick and helminth control on productivity of small ruminants in the Lolgorien area, Narok district, Kenya.

Forty-five indigenous goats (one to two years old) and 45 indigenous sheep (six to eight months old) were exposed to natural tick and gastro-intestinal parasite challenge. All animals were born and reared in a pastoral husbandry system. Throughout the study they were housed at night under improved hygienic conditions and grazed during daytime with the flock from which they originated. Improvement of hygienic conditions reduced mortality. Control of intestinal parasites increased liveweight gain (LWG) in both species and reduced mortality most noticeably in sheep. Regular tick control had a negative influence on LWG in goats over one year old but a positive influence on LWG on young sheep. This, however, was of marginal economic benefit compared to a substantial benefit of helminth control.