WEIGHT GAINS OF FRIESIAN X BUNA.JI CALVES AS AFFECTED BY FEED GRADE SELENIUM AND VITAMIN E SUPPLEMENTATION

Abstract

The experiment was carried out to determine the effect of supplementing feed grade selenium and vitamin -E on weight gains of Friesian x Bunaji calves. Twenty pregnant Bunaji cows inseminated with Friesian semen were used for the study. The animals were grouped into four treatments with each treatment consisting of five animals in a completely randomized design. Treatment I served as the control, treatment II Se (3mg), treatment III vitamin E (20mg) and treatment IV Se + Vitamin E (3mg + 20mg). At calving, the calves were weighed using a weighing scale and subsequently monthly until they were weaned. There were no significant differences (p<0.05) for the weights at calving, 1^st and 2^nd month after calving in all the treatments. Weight at weaning showed significant differences (p<0.05) in all the treatments with the control having the lowest (55.0 kg) while the Se + vitamin E treatment had the highest (65.8 kg) weight. It was concluded that selenium and vitamin E supplementation had no effect on calving weight, weight at 1^st and 2 month except at weaning with the combination of Se + vitamin E performing best.