author(s)
Dr. B Puvarajan

abstract
The present study was conducted to determine the prevalence and type of sucking lice and tick infestation associated with ectoparasites reported in an organized Tellicherry goat farm at Dindigul district of Tamilnadu during 2011-12. Clinical examination and laboratory analysis were carried out in 200 goats. The collected raw data were analyzed using ^𝜒2 -test. A total of 6 species of ectoparasites were identified, of them 3 were ticks namely Haemaphysalis bispinosa (34.4%), Boophilus microplus (27.2%), Rhipicephalus sanguineus (7.2%), and one was mite, Psoroptes cuniculi (5.6%) and 2 were lice such as Damalinia caprae (20.8%) and Linognathus stenopsis (18.4%). Relatively low parasitic burden was found in case of R. sanguineus (1.33±0.516) infestation. The study showed that significant (P<0.05) high proportion of ticks in young kids and goats less than a year with poor bodily condition. The prevalence of suckling lice in the present study was high in an organized Tellicherry goat farm which affected the productivity and health status of goats and a plethora of control measures was advocated along with the regional Veterinary Assistant Surgeons against these deadly suckling lice and their economic loss in goat farms.