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Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences

Year: 2006 | Volume: 9 | Issue: 15 | Page No.: 2835-2840
DOI: 10.3923/pjbs.2006.2835.2840
Effects of Monensin and Thiamin and their Combinations on Feedlot Performance, Blood Glucose, BUN Levels and Carcass Characteristics of Mehraban Lambs Fed a High Concentrate Diet
E. Rowghani, M. J. Zamiri and S. R. Ebrahimi

Abstract: Seventy Mehraban male lambs (initial live weight 43.9±4.3 kg) were used in a 70-day feeding experiment. Lambs were fed with 12 diets in a completely randomized design arranged in a 3x4 factorial trial with three levels of thiamin (0, 4 and 6 mg kg-1 DM) and 4 levels of monensin (0, 5, 11 and 22 mg kg-1 DM). A 21-day period was included for adaptation to the diets. Basal diet (dry matter basis) consisted of 7.5% corn silage, 8% alfalfa hay, 70% barley grain, 10% wheat bran, 3% cottonseed meal, 1.1% limestone and 0.4% vitamin and mineral supplement. Carcass characteristics, average daily gain and Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) were not significantly (p>0.05) different between diets containing monensin and thiamin or their combinations with control. Daily dry matter intake was lowest (p<0.05) for diets 8 (11 mg monensin and 4 mg thiamin per kg DM) and 12 (22 mg monensin and 6 mg thiamin per kg DM) compared with diet 3 (6 mg thiamin per kg DM). BUN level and ruminal fluid pH were not significantly (p>0.05) different between diets. Blood glucose of lambs fed with 11 mg monensin/kg DM (50.6 mg dL-1) was higher (p<0.05) than control group (45.8 mg dL-1). Monensin tended to improve FCR. Monensin reduced DMI (p<0.05) and decreased feed consumption by 9.13-9.75% compared with the control diet. The effect of monensin on blood glucose concentration was significant (p<0.05) which was higher for two levels of monensin (11 and 22 mg kg-1 DM), compared with the control diet. Ruminal fluid pH was significantly (p<0.05) higher with all levels of monensin and at 22 mg kg-1 monensin, ruminal ammonia concentration was lowest (p<0.05). The overall effect of thiamin was a decrease (p<0.05) in BUN concentration.

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How to cite this article
E. Rowghani, M. J. Zamiri and S. R. Ebrahimi, 2006. Effects of Monensin and Thiamin and their Combinations on Feedlot Performance, Blood Glucose, BUN Levels and Carcass Characteristics of Mehraban Lambs Fed a High Concentrate Diet. Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences, 9: 2835-2840.

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