PERFORMANCE OF WEST AFRICAN DWARF SHEEP ON PANICUM MAXIMUM PASTURE DURING CHRONIC HAEMONCHOSIS

Abstract

Twenty-four lambs were placed on a 1.6 hectares of B. maximum pasture. The pasture was divided into four 0.4 hectare paddocks on each of which 6 lambs were maintained. Two groups of lambs were infected with 2000L₃ H. contortus while the Other two groups were not infected. One group each from infected and non-infected groups was placed on protein supplement of Leucoena leucocephala leaves at 50g/d twelve weeks.

It was found that the daily weight gain of the non-infected supplemented group (146 14g/d) was significantly higher (P<0.05) than the weight gains of other groups, (10823g/d, 10720g/d. Protein supplementation reduced the faecal egg count and produced a total self-cure. The P.C.V. was not significantly affected (P>0.05) either by the infection or protein supplementation the values ranged between 30.1 and 31.3%.