Creosote bush (Larrea tridentata) biomass as fodder for sheep

The aim of this work was to determine the effect of integrated diets with creosote bush (Larrea tridentata) biomass added as fodder for sheep on feed intake, weight gain, pH, rumen protozoa and concentration of Eimeria spp. oocysts in feces. The entire creosote bush plant was incorporated as fodder at 0 (control), 5 and 10 % (dry basis) in integrated diets, replacing sorghum straw. Diets were randomly assigned to 21 Rambouillet sheep (22.1 ± 1.7 kg live weight). The trial lasted 60 days. The sheep fed with 5 and 10 % creosote bush had lower (P<0.04) intake than the control. Weight gain, feed efficiency and rumen pH had values with non-significant differences. The number of rumen protozoa and oocysts in feces decreased (P<0.02) as the percentage of creosote bush in the diet increased. Therefore, the results indicate that it is feasible to use up to 10 % creosote bush biomass in sheep diets.