Effect of Feeding Salt Tolerant Plants Silage on Productive Performance and Blood Biochemical Changes of Barki Ewes and their Lambs during the First Month Post-Partum | ||
| Journal of Animal and Poultry Production | ||
| Article 1, Volume 9, Issue 8, August 2018, Pages 337-344 | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/jappmu.2018.41132 | ||
| Authors | ||
| N. H. Ibrahim* 1; A. S. El-Hawy2; M. F. El-Bassiony2; F. E. Younis2; S. Abo-Bakr3 | ||
| 1Animal and Poultry Production Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt. | ||
| 2Animal and Poultry Physiology Department, Desert Research Center, Mataria, Cairo, Egypt | ||
| 3Animal and Poultry Nutrition Department, Desert Research Center, Mataria, Cairo, Egypt | ||
| Abstract | ||
| The objectives of this work were to study productive performance and blood biochemical alterations in Barki ewes fed silage from salt tolerant plants mixture (SSP), and its impact on the growth rate and blood biochemical parameters of neonatal lambs. Forty-eight adult estrus synchronized Barki ewes at 2–3 years old with average of 38.39±1.85 kg live body weight were randomly divided into two experimental groups (24 in each). The first group (BH) was fed a control diet of berseem (Trofolium alexandrenum) hay and commercial concentrate, while the second one (SSP) was fed silage made from a mixture of four salt-tolerant plants (Atriplex halimus 50%; Beta vulgaris 25%; Pearl millet 15% and Carthamus tinctorius 10%). All born lambs were housed with their mothers during neonatal period. Live body weight changes, blood biochemical parameters of Barki ewes and their lambs were recorded immediately after birth and weekly until the end of the neonatal period (28 d post-partum). Results showed that during the first month of lactation, ewes of both groups lost weight without any significant effect of treatment on total weight loss. Male and female lambs obtained from ewes fed SSP had higher birth and final body weight. However, lambs of ewes fed hay showed insignificantly higher daily gain and total gain. There was no effect of age on total gain and daily gain. Male lambs were heavier at birth than females in both groups and consistently higher allover the neonatal period. Milk yield and composition were not affected by dietary treatment, except for ash percentage that increased in milk of ewes fed SSP ration. Ewes fed SSP had significantly lower concentrations of plasma total proteins (TP) and albumin (AL), while insignificantly lowered concentration of globulin (GL) and AL/GL ratio than. Concentration of TP was lower (P<0.05) in lambs of SSP group. Also in lambs, the effect of age was significant (P<0.01) on TP, GL and AL/GL ratio, with the higher values were recorded at birth and at the first week of age. Ewes of SSP group had significantly lower values of plasma glucose and total lipids, while cholesterol was not affected by treatment. Time after parturition affected only total lipids. Lambs responded to treatment like mothers, but day after lambing had no effect. Ewes of SSP group recorded significantly higher values of liver and kidney function parameters in plasma (AST, ALT, ALP. urea and creatinine), being within the normal range. In conclusion, utilization of silage made from salt-tolerant plants as animal feeds seems to be alternative and acceptable feed resources without serious adverse effects on ewes and their lambs during neonatal period under harsh conditions. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Barki sheep; Neonatal Period; blood biochemicals; Ewes; lambs | ||
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