SODIUM MONENSIN AS A FORAGE ADDICTIVE

Abstract

One experiment was conducted to determine the effect of 0, 15 and 30 mg monensin/head/day upon rumen/metabolism, blood glucose and urea levels and the supplementary value of monensin as a low quality forage addictive. The hay of perennial soybean (Glycine wightii) cv. Tinarro was used. COBAN -100 (Elanco Química Ltda), at 10% in weight of monensin activity was utilized in this experiment. The experiment was divided in three phases: Phase 1: Hay; Phase II: Hay + 15 mg monensin/head/day; Phase III: Hay + 30 mg monensin/head/day. Nine adult lambs were utilized and three of them were rumen fistulated. A nine-replicate randomized complete block experimental design was used. No statistical differences (P < 0,05) were noticed for pH and ammonia and protein concentration of the rumen fluid. In the next hours after feeding, small or none changes were registered in the treatment. The volatile fatty acid concentration, although showing some modifications decreasing the acetic acid and increasing propionic acid concentrations, did not differ in applied treatment (P < 0,05). The blood glucose levels increased slightly; although urea concentration was decreased with the addition of monensin but such changes were not meaningful (P < 0,05).