Impact of Graded Selenium Supplementation on Growth, Body Morphometry, and Behavioural Responses of Uda Rams

Abstract

This study evaluated the effects of graded levels of selenium supplementation (0, 12 mg/kg, and 15 mg/kg as sodium selenite) on growth performance, body morphometry, nutrient intake, digestibility, and behavioral responses of Uda rams. Fifteen yearling rams were assigned to three dietary treatments in a completely randomized design. Results indicated that feed intake, initial and final body weights, weight gain, and feed conversion ratio were not significantly different among treatments (P>0.05), although rams supplemented with 15 mg/kg Se exhibited numerically higher weight gain and average daily gain. Body morphometry revealed significant improvement (P<0.05) in final body length in rams supplemented with 15 mg/kg Se, while other morphometric parameters were similar across treatments. Selenium supplementation significantly influenced intake of crude protein, ether extract, and ash, but had no effect on the digestibility of nutrients. Behavioral Behavioral responses such as time spent lying idle were also affected by selenium levels, with the 12mg/kg group spending more time lying compared to the 15 mg/kg and control groups. The correlation analysis revealed strong negative correlations between certain behaviors body licking and eating (-0.820), rumination (-0.872) and lying idle (-0.864), indicating that reams across all groups spent more time licking their body, eats and ruminate less.