Use of the food cubes in the fattening of the bovines and the small ruminants in the district of Bamako. Evaluation of the potential effects on the libido of the animals

UNLABELLED: The goal of this work was to study the possible use of the food cubes in bovines' and the small ruminants' feeding in Bamako district and to evaluate its potential effects on these animals' libido. MATERIAL AND METHODS: To undertake this study, a transversal investigation among 384 emboucheurs and emboucheurs stockbreeders were carried out from 22 to 24 April, 2007 in 11 cattle markets in the District of Bamako. The study included 20 Moor rams aged 2 to 3 years old, divided into 4 batches of 5 heads each; 15 Moor ewes aged 2 to 3 years old were synchronized regularly and put in heat for measurements of the libido. The sheep were fed with food made up with fan of Niebe and cotton oil cake, with respectively 0 cubes jumbo for the 1st batch (control group), 2 cubes for the 2nd batch and 4 cubes for 3rd and 6 cubes for the 4th batch (the study groups). RESULTS: Finding showed that the principal ration used by the emboucheurs was the combination of straw of bush and cattle food provided by HUICOMA factories (ABH), 98,70%. The investigations revealed also that only 0,50% of the emboucheurs used the cubes Jumbo or Maggi chicken to accelerate the weight increase of their animals. Regarding the measurement of the libido, findings showed that the addition of food cubes in rams of batches II, III and IV feeding, reduced in a remarkable way time that these animals put before jumping in the presence of a ewe in heat. Regarding dimensions of the scrotum, testicles of the rams, the addition of the food cubes does have any influence. CONCLUSION: The study enabled us to affirm that the addition of food cubes in rams feeding improved considerably the libido of these animals and any impact on their health have been observed.