BODY THERMOREGULATORY ADAPTATIONS AND REPRODUCTIVE POTENTIALS OF YANKASSA RAMS FED DIETS CONTAINING UREA-MOLASSES TREATED CASSAVA PEEL ENSILED WITH CAGED-LAYER DROPPINGS

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate the physiological responses and reproductive performance of sheep fed diets containing urea-molasses treated cassava peels ensiled with caged layer droppings. The experiment took place at the Federal University of Agriculture Teaching and Research Farm, Adamawa. Twenty-one clinically healthy Yankassa breed of sheep, aged approximately 6 to 7 months, were used for the trial, which lasted for 63 days. Feed offered was measured daily. Statistical differences between mean values of the studied parameters were assessed using one-way repeated measures ANOVA. Thermoregulatory parameters—including heart rate, respiratory rate, earlobe temperature, and rectal temperature—showed no significant differences between treatment groups and the control group throughout the experimental period. Semen pH and abnormalities in sheep fed a diet with 25% replacement of urea-molasses treated cassava peels ensiled with caged layer droppings were not significantly different from the control group but were significantly better than those in the 50% replacement group. Conversely, reproductive parameters such as semen motility, live sperm percentage, semen concentration and volume, scrotal length, scrotal circumference, and libido were significantly improved in sheep fed the 50% replacement diet compared to the 25% replacement group, with no significant difference from the control. It can be concluded that the inclusion of urea-molasses treated cassava peels ensiled with caged layer droppings had no adverse effects on the thermoregulatory parameters of the sheep. Furthermore, the 50% replacement diet appears to be the most beneficial in terms of reproductive performance, falling within recommended nutritional standards for small ruminants.