Influence of feed supplementation and disease prophylaxie on the viability of Fulbe sheep in North-Cameroon

Abstract

Four groups of 60 weaner ewes aged 3 to 5 months (CP group: feed supplementation, vaccination against peste des petits ruminants, anthelmintic and external antiparasitic treatments; C group: feed supplementation without prophylaxis nor treatment; P group: prophylaxis and treatment, but no feed supplementation; T group: control) were formed in April 1993 in order to study the effects of feed supplementation and prophylactic treatment on their viability. Feed supplementation was made of 200g/head/day cotton seed cakes and mineral licking blocks. The prophylactic treatment consisted in two internal antiparasitic treatments at the beginning and the end of the rainy season and an external treatment whenever ticks were seen on the ewes. Clinical observations and body state notations were recorded over a one year period. Nasal discharge, lameness and diarrhea were the main clinical signs observed (50.9, 15.2 and 13.0%, respectively). The annual mortality rates were 16.7, 37.3, 31.7 and 52.5% for groups CP, C, P and T, respectively. Supplementation and prophylaxis significantly reduced mortality (p < 0.05). A sharp rise in mortality rates was noticed with the coming of the rains. Gastrointestinal nematode infestation and undernutrition were the leading factors of mortality. The strategy of protein supplementation and prophylaxis might be encouraged to reduce the high mortality, the main restricting factor in sheep livestock production in North Cameroon.