EFFECTS OF TRYPANOSOMA-CONGOLENSE AND NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS IN DJALLONKE EWES ON LIVE WEIGHT DURING PREGNANCY, POST-PARTUM WEIGHT, HEMATOLOGY PARAMETERS AND LAMB PERFORMANCE

The effects of Trypanosoma congolense infection and nutritional supple ments on live weight changes during pregnancy, haematology traits and offspring performance were studied in 42 Djallonke ewes. A randomised block design was used to allocate ewes to four treatment combinations, of which two were on a restricted diet (L) and the remainder on an un restricted diet (H). Half of each nutritional group were infected with T congolense (LI, HI), the remainder serving as controls (LC, HC). Th e degree of anaemia following infection was similar in both infection groups (P<0.001), but the erythropoietic activity, as judged by the in crease in mean corpuscular volume, was significantly greater in the HI group (P<0.01). Live weight gains during pregnancy attributable to hi gher supplements were significantly depressed by infection (P<0.01). P ost partum weight was lower in the LI group as compared with the Le co ntrol. Diet interacted significantly (P<0.01) with infection and resul ted in the lowest lamb growth rates in the LI group. It was concluded that dietary supplementation of trypanosome-infected Djallonke ewes du ring pregnancy and lactation improves productivity in terms of ewe liv e weight and improved lamb growth rates to weaning.