Syomiti M., Dana H., Getachew G., Beatrice M., Wamae D.
Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, P. Box 30148-00100, NAIROBI, Kenya; Colorado State University, Campus Delivery 1683, Fort Collins, Ethiopia; MARIL-Ethiopia, PO.Box 90112, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Syomiti, M., Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, P. Box 30148-00100, NAIROBI, Kenya; Dana, H., Colorado State University, Campus Delivery 1683, Fort Collins, Ethiopia; Getachew, G., MARIL-Ethiopia, PO.Box 90112, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Beatrice, M., Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, P. Box 30148-00100, NAIROBI, Kenya; Wamae, D., Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, P. Box 30148-00100, NAIROBI, Kenya
The aim of this study was to determine effects of supplementing medicated Prosopis juliflora-based feed blocks on feed intake, daily weight gains and antihelmintic control potential in sheep. Twelve red maasai weaner lambs, 4 months old, with an average initial live weight of 10 kg (±2.3) were used in the study which lasted for 42 days. The sheep were blocked by weight and within each block, randomly allocated to 3 treatments with 4 animals each. Each animal block received one of the following treatments; (i). Cenchrus ciliaris grass hay (basal diet) ad libitum, without supplementation (control), (ii) C. ciliaris grass hay (basal diet) ad libitum, supplemented with Non-medicated P. juliflora feed blocks (PJ) (iii) C. ciliaris grass hay (basal diet) ad libitum, supplemented with medicated P. juliflora blocks. Basal feeds and test supplements (two blocks per day) were offered individually at 0800 h and 1430 h daily. Fresh drinking water was available ad libitum (PJM). The tested diets increased significantly total live weight gains for PJ (18.1) and PJM (20.5) as compared to control group (14.4). Significantly (P<0.001) higher daily average weight gains were reported in the treatment groups (431 and 488.1 g for non-medicated and medicated feed blocks respectively, than the control (342.9 g). Average dry matter intake (kg−1d) varied among the treatment diets from 0.42, 0.67 to 0.89 for the control, non-medicated and medicated P. juliflora multi-nutrient blocks respectively. Higher feed conversion efficiency was reported in the animals on medicated prosopis blocks (1.82) than in the non-medicated treatment (1.56) and the control group (1.22). The mean EPG trends of control group progressively rose from day-zero to throughout the experimental period. Significantly higher (P<0.05) coccidial species egg output of the untreated controls had risen by 500% and 106% for strongyles spp respectively by end of the experiment. Non-medicated and medicated P.juliflora feed-blocks achieved a maximum percentage mean EPG output reduction of 39% and 91% respectively for Strongyles species by 42 days post treatment. 87% and 56% mean coccidial EPG output reduction was recorded for non-medicated and medicated feed blocks respectively. Therefore, according to the current results, P. juliflora based feed blocks fortified with a de-wormer such as Nilzan Plus at the rate of 5% per 100 kg of block ingredients would be a potential strategy to control gastro-intestinal parasites and improve livestock productivity in Kenya’s rangelands, and additionally, minimize P. juliflora invasions in affected regions of Kenya, and other areas of the world with massive colonization with this invasive plant species. © iForest – Biogeosciences and Forestry.