Reproductive Performance During Parasitic Load in Small Ruminants

Small ruminants were kept almost parasite free for about 3 months using Albendazole alone or supplemented with mineral mixture. Haemoglobin (Hb) level ranged between 8.83±0.08 g/dl to 8.96±0.03 g/dl in ewes and 8.78±0.02 g/dl to 8.95±0.24 g/dl in does before treatment. The level of Hb increased significantly (P<0.01) in both the treatment groups after treatment on day 20. The minimum interval from treatment to onset of estrus were recorded in group T₂ (41d in ewes and 43d in does) which was followed by group T₁ (44 d in ewes and 46d in does) and T₃ group (55d in ewes and 52 d in does). The pregnancy rates in the three groups were 66.66, 83.33 and 33.33 per cent, respectively in case of does and the corresponding values in ewes were 50.00, 66.66 and 33.36 per cent, respectively.