The effect of monensin on the efficiency of feed conversion, carcass traits and the occurrence of coccidiosis in lambs.

Twenty crossbred lambs, approximately one-month old, were allotted to two treatments according to body mass and sex. One group received monensin (15 mg/head/day) in their creep feed, while the other group served as a control. The trial lasted 14 weeks and the lambs were weaned after 8 weeks. Monensin raised live mass gain, carcass mass gain and feed conversion efficiency while feed intake was lowered. Coccidial oocyst counts in the faeces were significantly (P ≤0,05) lowered, while monensin had no effect on the taste of the meat and left no residue in the meat.