Effects of Feed Supplementation and Deworming on Helminthes Egg Counts of Sheep and Goats in Bauchi State

Abstract

A study was conducted at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Small Ruminant Teaching and Research Farm to determine the effects of feed supplementation and deworming on the productivity of sheep and goats in Bauchi State. Twenty four small ruminants (12 sheep and 12 goats), with average weights of 10.5 and 8.7 kg respectively were used for the experiments. The supplement used were maize bran (MB) and cotton seed cake (CSC) given at the ratio of 4:1 followed by field grazing in both the late wet and early dry seasons. Sheep and goats supplemented and dewormed (0.00 epg) and supplemented not dewormed (0.00 epg) respectively had lower worm egg counts, though these were not significant (p>0.05). Similarly, supplemented goats recorded lower worm egg counts (0.42 epg) than supplemented sheep. Dewormed sheep and goats in both seasons had lower worm loads, with goats having the lowest (0.05 epg) in the dry season. Also feed supplemented goats in both the wet and dry seasons had lower worm counts of 0.67 epg (wet) and 0.17 epg (dry) though without significant statistical difference (p>0.05) result. It was concluded that farmers should supplement small ruminant feeding generally in the dry season and dewormed sheep mostly in the wet season than in the dry season.