EFFECT OF MOLASSES-UREA-BLOCK (MUB) ON DRY-MATTER INTAKE, GROWTH, REPRODUCTIVE-PERFORMANCE AND CONTROL OF GASTROINTESTINAL NEMATODE INFECTION OF GRAZING MENZ RAM LAMBS
D. Anindo et al., EFFECT OF MOLASSES-UREA-BLOCK (MUB) ON DRY-MATTER INTAKE, GROWTH, REPRODUCTIVE-PERFORMANCE AND CONTROL OF GASTROINTESTINAL NEMATODE INFECTION OF GRAZING MENZ RAM LAMBS, Small ruminant research, 27(1), 1998, pp. 63-71
The effect of urea-molasses feed-supplement blocks (MUB) on feed utili
sation and the inclusion of anthelmintic medication into the blocks at
strategic times to control nematode parasites was studied in lambs gr
azed on low quality tropical pasture. 120 Menz ram lambs of 5-7 months
of age were divided into six groups for methods of treatment against
internal parasites and urea molasses supplementation. The benzimidazol
e anthelmintic fenbendazole was administered at the rate of 10 mg kg(-
1) liveweight as a drench or via medicated MUB. Animals grazed in two
lots during the day and had access to grass hay in night pens ad libit
um. Groups 1-3 comprised a non-supplemented (NOSUP) lot that only graz
ed while groups 4-6 consumed, in addition, an average of 80g per head
per day of molasses-urea-block (SUPP) supplement. The MUB supplement w
as provided daily for nine months but medicated MUB was used only for
strategic prophylactic treatment against nematodes. SUPP animals had h
igher daily DM intakes (568 +/- 11 versus 532 +/- 11g DM per head per
day, P < 0.05), the advantage being greatest in the wet season when th
ere was also a concomitant increase in herbage digestibility (P < 0.00
1). SUPP animals were 4kg heavier (25.7 +/- 0.5 versus 21.7 +/- 0.5 kg
, P < 0.05) and had deposited more body reserves as judged by conditio
n score (3.2 +/- 0.1 versus 2.4 +/- 0.1) after 6 months. The level of
infection with endoparasites was lower in the dry than in the wet seas
on. Medicated MUB was as efficient in treating against endoparasites a
s drenching. Similarly, the MUB supplement mitigated the effect of end
oparasitism. Anthelmintic treatment did not improve testicular size or
semen quality (P > 0.05). Testicular growth increased faster during t
he first 3 months to highest Values of 26.9 +/- 0.3 and 25.3 +/- 0.3 c
m, respectively in SUPP and NOSUP animals (P < 0.001) at 6 months. Sem
en quality improved with age and was better in SUPP than NOSUP males (
P < 0.05-P < 0.001). It is concluded that MUB supplementation is a sui
table method for supplementing the nutrition of grazing sheep in Ethio
pia, and that MUB feeding can help alleviate the effect of endoparasit
ism. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.