Relationship between nematode parasitism of the digestive tract and the characteristics of dairy goat farms in two French regions

East of France for nematode infection. The intensity of infection was assessed by means of individual faecal egg counts performed four times per year. The possible occurrence of resistance to benzimidazoles on the farms was evaluated by a faecal egg count reduction test. In parallel, information on the typological characteristics of the farms have been collected through a questionnaire on the general structure, the flock and the mode of management of parasitism. A Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was performed in order to examine the associations or oppositions between variables defining the farm and the level of parasitism. On the other hand, a Discriminant Analysis was applied to examine the factors explaining the mean annual number of anthelmintic treatments. Results from the PCA showed that the high level of infection was associated with the size of the flock, the total surface of farm and with the presence of other host species. On the other hand, nematode parasitism was inversely related to the milk production and to the stocking rate. The Discriminant Analysis indicated that farms with a low number of annual treatments (less than 2) were characterised either by a low stocking rate or by a large distribution of concentrates indoors despite the use of pastures. On the other hand, the group of farms with the highest number of antiparasitic treatments (more than 4) corresponded to farms where anthelmintic resistance to benzimidazoles has been identified during the survey. (Résumé d'auteur