The efficacy of monensin sodium on controlling coccidiosis and average daily gain in feedlot beef cattle weaners and yearlings

Coccidiosis is an infectious disease of cattle particularly affecting confined animals. Intensive animal husbandry practices can increase the spread of coccidiosis. The efficacy of monensin sodium in controlling coccidiosis infection in beef weaners and yearlings from different breed of cattle and age groups kept under feedlot system at Livestock Breeding Centre, Tawau was examined. There were 67 heads (24 heads of Brahman, 23 heads of Droughtmaster, and 20 heads of Bali cattle) of male beef weaners and yearlings raised in the feedlot were used. The beef weaners and yearlings were fed daily with 20 kg of fresh signal or grass and 2 kg/head/day concentrates. Monensin sodium (Elancoban, Elanco®) was added into the mixture of the concentrates at the rate of 600 mg/head/day. The experiment with the feeding supplementation with monensin was started in August 2009 and ended in December 2009. Individual fecal samples were collected from the beef weaners and yearlings before and after treatment. The coccidia oocysts counts were determined by McMaster method. The beef weaners and yearlings were weighed in March, June, August, September and December. All the samples were tested positive for coccidia oocysts with the infection rate between one and three oocysts/g. Monensin showed an increase of mean average daily gain (ADG) of the Bali beef yearlings from 0.19 kg to 0.32 kg and in the 19-26 months age group beef yearlings from 0.25 kg to 0.29 kg. Monensin given in the diet was effective in controlling bovine coccidiosis infections and increase ADG of the beef yearlings. Thus, monensin was suitable to be use in the cattle industry especially in feedlot diets to control coccidiosis infections. Further study need to be done to examine the relationship between the dosage of the monensin and the average daily gain of Coccidiosis is an infectious disease of cattle particularly affecting confined animals. Intensive animal husbandry practices can increase the spread of coccidiosis. The efficacy of monensin sodium in controlling coccidiosis infection in beef weaners and yearlings from different breed of cattle and age groups kept under feedlot system at Livestock Breeding Centre, Tawau was examined. There were 67 heads (24 heads of Brahman, 23 heads of Droughtmaster, and 20 heads of Bali cattle) of male beef weaners and yearlings raised in the feedlot were used. The beef weaners and yearlings were fed daily with 20 kg of fresh signal or grass and 2 kg/head/day concentrates. Monensin sodium (Elancoban, Elanco®) was added into the mixture of the concentrates at the rate of 600 mg/head/day. The experiment with the feeding supplementation with monensin was started in August 2009 and ended in December 2009. Individual fecal samples were collected from the beef weaners and yearlings before and after treatment. The coccidia oocysts counts were determined by McMaster method. The beef weaners and yearlings were weighed in March, June, August, September and December. All the samples were tested positive for coccidia oocysts with the infection rate between one and three oocysts/g. Monensin showed an increase of mean average daily gain (ADG) of the Bali beef yearlings from 0.19 kg to 0.32 kg and in the 19-26 months age group beef yearlings from 0.25 kg to 0.29 kg. Monensin given in the diet was effective in controlling bovine coccidiosis infections and increase ADG of the beef yearlings. Thus, monensin was suitable to be use in the cattle industry especially in feedlot diets to control coccidiosis infections. Further study need to be done to examine the relationship between the dosage of the monensin and the average daily gain of beef weaners and yearlings