[Effectiveness of the use of momensin for cattle fattening]

Two groups of fattened bulls (125 bulls in each group) were investigated for the effect of monensin (125-175 mg per head/day) on live weight gains and for the effectiveness of monensin administration. After 160 days of fattening, the average daily weight gain was 713 g in the control group and 800 g in the monensin-treated group (an increase by 12.2%). After 11 months of fattening the daily weight gain was 702 g in the control group and 768 g in the monensin-treated group (an increase by 9.4%). Besides the control and experimental groups, monensin was administered to 1500 head of fattened cattle on the whole. Greater differences in the daily live weight gains (higher gains in the monensin-treated animals) were recorded mainly in the period when the feed ration contained high-quality bulk feeds. When the bulls were given feeds of lower quality (mainly late in winter), the differences in the average daily live weight gains decrease and the effect of monensin treatment is not so great. Throughout the fattening period, monensin had a favourable influence on the live weight gains and its use was economically advantageous.