Effect of urea supplementation and anthelmintic treatment on the productive and reproductive performances of suffolk ewes infected by gastrointestinal nematode [electronic resource].

Includes references.

To study the effect of urea supplementation and or ivomec treatment on the productivity and reproductive performance of infected ewes with gastrointestinal nematodes, twenty mature Saffolk ewes, naturally infected with gastrointestinal nematodes and in their late stages of pregnancy were used. At first, ewes were divided according to the mode of nutrition into two main groups (n=10 in each group). The first group was fed on a basal diet (low protein diet) without supplementation while, the second group (n=10) was fed on the same diet supplemented with urea (high protein diet). Then each group was further divided into two subgroups (n=5 each). The first subgroup was treated with subcutaneous injection of ivomec at 1 m/l 50kg B. Wt, while the second subgroup was left untreated. Hence, four groups were formed: urealivomec gp, urea gp, ivomec gp and positive control gp (without urea or ivomec). Faecal examination of all groups revealed the absence of gastrointestinal nematode ova from the faeces of the first and the third groups, while there was steady decrease and increase of the faecal egg count of the second and fourth groups respectively, till the end of the study. There werer significant improvement in the levels of total protein, albumin and globulin of the first three groups than the control ones. While, there was significant decrease in urea level of the first group as well as non significant decrease in the second and third groups than the control ones. Urea supplementation and or ivomec treatment affect positively on the birth weights of the newly born lambs, as the birth weights of the newly born lambs of the first, second and third groups were significantly higher than those of the positive control ewes. Pregnancy % was higher in the first group (100%), while in the other groups it was 80%. However, lambing % tended to be higher in the first group (100%), and in the second group, it was 80%, while it was 60% in the third and control ones. Meanwhile, fertility% was also enhanced in ewes of the first group then the second group, while it was equal in both third and control groups. In addition, urea supplementation improved prolificacy%, the recorded results were 140, 150, 1333, and 133.3% in the first, second, third and positive control groups respectively.

Summary in Arabic.