Worm Management with Orego-Stim

What are Helminths?

Gastrointestinal parasitic worms (helminths) are a concern for the livestock industry, affecting health, welfare and production performance. The three main groups of helminths include roundworms (nematodes), tapeworms (cestodes) and flatworms (trematodes). Parasitic worm infection in livestock species is associated with reduced health and welfare, reduced feed intakes, reduced nutrient absorption, poor feed efficiency, weight loss, reduced production (growth rate, milk production, egg production etc.) and increased mortality.
Animal and management risk factors associated with helminth infection include;
* Age of the animal
* Animal immune status
* Stocking densities
* Type of production system
* Weather conditions and climate
* Grazing strategies
* Farm history/environmental burden
* Anthelmintic resistance

Helminths and Egg Quality

Worms may be found in eggs, especially those produced by hens foraging in free range systems. After ingestion from the environment and infestation of the intestinal tract, roundworms may migrate from the cloaca into the oviduct, where they may become enclosed within the egg. Ascaridia galli are the most popular roundworm found in chicken eggs, but others include cecal roundworm (Heterakis gallinarum) and tapeworm (Poultry Lane, 2022). Since A. galli also reduce nutrient absorption, they are also responsible for poor egg production and pale egg yolks due to reduced uptake and deposition of carotenoid pigments.

Challenges with Conventional Control Methods

Anthelmintics are a group of antiparasitic drugs that are used to treat infected animals for helminths. If an anthelmintic is applied at the correct dose and more than 5% of the worm population survive, we can assume an anthelmintic resistance exists. Anthelmintic resistance is ubiquitous across the world, and parasite burdens continue to cause significant losses to producers. In Europe, the annual cost of resistance in livestock is estimated at €38 million per year and is predicted to continue increasing (Charlier et al., 2020), so finding alternative solutions is critical.

What is Orego-Stim?

Orego-Stim (OS) is a high quality eubiotic composed of 100% natural oregano oil (OEO). Natural OEO has many documented properties including antiparasitic, antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory functions. OS may be used to help support gut health and worm management in livestock and aquaculture systems.

Orego-Stim and Worm Management

An in vitro study by Rajkovic et al., (2019) demonstrated carvacrol, a major component of natural OEO, can effectively kill A. galli, a common large roundworm species in poultry. In a two-part study by Filip et al., (2022) focusing on sheep helminths, OEO was also shown to inhibit egg hatchability by up to 93.3% in vitro, and reduce faecal egg counts from sheep within one week after treatment.
In 2019, a trial was conducted in collaboration with North Carolina State University to determine the effect of Orego-Stim Powder (OSP) on the worm burden of laying hens in a free range egg production system. Hens fed 300g/t OSP had a lower mean count of H. gallinarum and A. galli, as well as reduced infection with tapeworm. Feed efficiency was also improved by 6 points in OSP supplemented hens.
In a commercial cage-free egg production system in the USA, supplementation of hens with OSP at 600g/t for 14 days also reduced A. galli faecal egg counts, with a 54% reduction of roundworm eggs per gram of faeces achieved on average.
Most recently, Anpario conducted a trial in collaboration with a broiler breeder customer in Brazil to evaluate the effect of OS on worm control in the absence of oxibendazole (anthelmintic). Birds were supplemented with Orego-Stim Liquid (OSL) at 1 litre/1000L drinking water for 14 days, followed by OSP at 300g/t finished feed for the remainder of the 3 month trial. Following completion, presence of worms was not found in the birds and there was an excellent improvement in intestinal quality, fecal quality and egg shell quality.
In conclusion, Orego-Stim can provide a natural, sustainable solution for helping to mitigate helminth infections and maintain animal performance. Orego-Stim can also be used to support conventional worm control programmes.