RESPONSES TO SUPPLEMENTATION IN WHITE FULANI CATTLE UNDER AGROPASTORAL MANAGEMENT IN NORTHERN NIGERIA .1. PHOSPHORUS

Using on-farm supplementation trials with a P rich block (Phos) and a salt block (Salt), deficiency of P in White Fulani cattle in Nigeria w as investigated. There was some evidence, significant in some location s but nonsignificant overall, that P supplemented dams produced heavie r calves and supported greater calf growth. Dam mean weight gains, 9 t o I months pre-partum were 6.9 kg/month on Phos (s.d. = 5.0, n = 50) a nd 3.8 kg/month on Salt (s.d. = 4.7 n = 54) (P > 0.05). Overall least squares means of calf weights at 12 months were 105.2 kg (n = 29, s.e. 9.3) on Phos and 91.5 kg (n = 37, s.e. 6.3) on Salt (P > 0.05). In an imals below 2 years of age, mortalities were 6.8% on Phos and 13.6% on Salt (n = 179, Chi-square P < 0.01). No response to supplementation w as observed in older and non-pregnant cattle.