Selective criteria for resistance to gastrointestinal nematodes in sheep

Victoria Marincheva

Abstract: Breeding represents the effort of mankind to constantly improve living beings for its own benefit.
This is how breeds were created and many were chosen for their productive qualities. However,
efficiency in one direction often leads to reduced performance in another. Increasing the profit from
milk, meet or wool may influence other parameters like the ability of the individual animal to cope
with disease. Gastrointestinal nematode parasitism is one of the most important issues that should be
addressed in sheep farming. It causes significant economic loss worldwide that cannot be covered by
extensive livestock systems. The problem is exacerbated by the continuous spread of anthelmintic
resistance. Integrated sustainable strategies are being recommended in the struggle to find effective
solutions to this question. One of the possible answers can be selection of sheep on the trait resistance/
resilience to gastrointestinal nematodes.

Keywords: gastrointestinal nematodes; resistance; selection; sheep

Date published: 2021-08-27