Abstract 64

Kabaija,-E; Akalework,-N; Leng,-RA

International Livestock Centre for Africa, PO Box 5689, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

TropicalAnimal-Health-and-Production. 1989, 21: 3, 183-190; 12 ref.

In a trial in Ethiopia from Mar. 1985 to Feb. 1986, 160 adult ewes of the Ethiopian Highland Menz breed were grazed on meadow pasture, unsupplemented or supplemented with urea-molasses blocks and/or noug cake (from a local oilseed, Guizotia abyssinica). Consumption of urea-molasses was low, averaging 67 g/day per animal, and its contribution to total N requirements was minimal. Dietary treatment had no significant effect on liveweight changes of ewes, their reproductive performance or performance of the lambs. When there was liver fluke infection, survival rates of ewes and lambs were better in all the supplemented groups than in the control group. Rumen ammonia-N concentration was significantly higher in the groups receiving noug cake than in the other groups; VFA molar ratios were not significantly affected by diet. It is recommended that factors which might enhance the consumption of urea-molasses be investigated.