EFFECT OF BORON SUPPLEMENTATION ON GROWTH, NUTRIENT DIGESTIBILITY ANDFLUORINE BALANCE IN LAMBS FED FLUORINE RICH DIET

Ameliorative effects of boron (B) were studied in lambs given fluorine (F) rich diet for 190 days. Male lambs (20), divided into 4 equal gro ups, were fed conventional concentrate mixture (CP 20% and TDN 72%) an d gram straw. Fluorine through sodium fluoride was supplemented in gro ups 2, 3 and 4 @ 10 mg/kg body wt along with concentrate mixture. The effective intake of F was 58, 276, 284 and 291 ppm in groups 1 to 4 re spectively. Boron, through sodium tetraborate, was supplemented in the diets of groups 3 and 4 @ 0.40 and 0.50 mg/mg F respectively. The bod y-weight gain (g/day), DM intake (% body wt) and feed to gain ratio we re lower in the diets containing F. Boron supplementation improved fee d: gain ratio in group 4 but not weight gain and DM intake. The digest ibility of proximate nutrients and nutritive value of dietary treatmen ts remained unaffected. Supplementation of B @ 0.50 mg/mg F (group 4) improved the total N balance. The retention of F decreased (P<0.01) in group 4 due to its increased (P<0.01) faecal excretion.