Experimental coccidiosis in goats. 1. Experimental model. Effects of parasitism on the feeding behaviour and the growth of animals; intestinal lesions.

Experimentally infecting goats with three species of coccidia (Eimeria ninakohlyakimovae, E. arloingi, E. christenseni) and placing them in metabolism cage helped us to obtain a parasitic development which was significant and continuous. This development is not necessarily accompanied by clinical symptoms. However slight constipation and not diarrhoea was observed. Feed consumption is reduced and a subsequent reduction in the rate of growth is observed. As far as the feeding behaviour is concerned, the reduction in the rate of growth is compensated by the animals choosing those parts of their ration which are most easily digested.