THE EFFECT OF FASCIOLOSIS ON THE WOOL PRODUCTION OF MERINO SHEEP

The wool production of 20 Merino sheep, artificially infected with Fasciola hepatica, was compared with that of 20 uninfected controls. Sheep of two different ages, 6 months and 4 years, were fed in pens ad lib on two different diets giving high and low planes of nutrition. The midside tatooed patch technique was used to measure the wool production over periods of 6 weeks prior to the infection date, and 0–6, 6–12, 12–18 and 18–24 weeks after this date. Infection with F. hepatica caused a significant reduction of 20–39% in wool production from 6 weeks after infection, irrespective of the age of the sheep or the plane of nutrition. It was found that a reduction in wool production may occur without symptoms of fasciolosis being apparent.