How did Early Bird perform in the first research study?
​
After months of development, trial and error, Dr. Masur and Dr. Tsakiris were awarded a grant in September of 2020 by the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education program to begin their first study. Get the details and the data here.
RESEARCH PARAMETERS
​
​
STUDY POPULATION
-
36 Huacaya alpacas in one fiber operation
-
In good general health with pre-existing fecal egg counts*
-
Half the females included in the study were pregnant, nursing, or nursing while pregnant**
* The majority of the samples were positive for Haemonchus contortus; the minority were positive for Trichuris, Moniezia, Eimeria, and Nematodirus.
**This signifies that half the females in the study population were under significant reproductive stress.
RESEARCH RESULTS
Manuscript pending publication
​
Early Bird: Effects on
FAMACHA
After three treatments, the average FAMACHA score of the herd (including those under significant reproductive sress) decreased from 3.10 to 2.25. This equates to an improvment from a questionable level of parasites to an acceptably low level of parasites.
Early Bird: Effects on
body
condition
After three treatments, the average body condition score of the herd (including lactating and pregnant females), increased from 3.0 to 3.3 or higher, reflecting weight gain across all groups.
Early Bird: Effects on
egg shedding
At the onset, almost 40% of the alpacas were positive for Haemonchus at variable levels. After three treatments of Early Bird, only 3% of the population carried a low level of Haemonchus.
Early Bird: Effects on
Fecal egg counts
Fecal egg counts for the herd decreased four-fold after three treatments of Early Bird, with most subjects converting to completely negative fecal egg counts.
Creating a scientifically valid place for plants in the fight against parasites and dewormer resistance
In the face of considerable reproductive demands, without the use of any other medications or dewormers, Early Bird increased body condition scores, decreased FAMACHA scores, and decreased eggs per gram (of multiple gastrointestinal parasites) in a statistically significant manner in comparison to the control.