Cost of controlling Rhipicephalus microplus in dairy cattle through different methods

Abstract

This study examines the cost of applying ixodicides by using three methods (subcutaneous injection, pour-on and spraying), in different animal categories, to generate information that can help in the choice of the method. The research was carried out between May and September 2017, in the dairy cattle section of the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of the South of Minas Gerais - IFSULDEMINAS - Muzambinho campus, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. All operational expenses related to the application of the ixodicides were recorded. Data were collected by three people: two to time the application of the product and one to record the measured data. Twenty-seven Holstein cattle infested with Rhipicephalus microplus were used, consisting of 12 calves, six heifers and nine adult cows. A simulation was carried out with 50 and 100 animals to check the effect of the production scale on the cost of applying the ixodicides. Application times (animal transport, product dosing and application itself) for the calves, heifers and cow categories were shorter in the injection and pour-on methods, which did not differ from each other in any of the three studied categories. The time spent per animal on the washing of personal protective equipment and washing of sprayer reduced as the number of animals increased, because these procedures are performed only once regardless of the number of animals. The pour-on method was the least expensive. Production scale was found to be an important factor for diluting fixed costs and optimizing labor.