EFFECT OF ACACIA SALIGNA LEVELS ON LACTATING BARKI EWES PERFORMANCE | ||||
Egyptian Journal of Nutrition and Feeds | ||||
Article 5, Volume 20, Issue 3, December 2017, Page 387-398 PDF (812.34 K) | ||||
Document Type: Original Article | ||||
DOI: 10.21608/ejnf.2017.75223 | ||||
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Authors | ||||
H. M. Khattab1; S. M. Shawket2; A. M. Abdel-Wahed2; A. M. Mansour1; B. R. Younan2 | ||||
1Animal Production Department, Agric. Faculty, Ain Shams Univ., Egypt. | ||||
2Animal Nutrition Department, Desert Research Centre, Egypt. | ||||
Abstract | ||||
This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of feeding graded levels of Acacia saligna leaves hay (ALH) on dry matter intake, milk yield, composition and lambs growth rate from birth to weaning. Forty Barki ewes at the start of lactation stage averaged 3-5 years old with an average live body weight 38.8±1.6 kg were randomly allocated to four treatments groups (ten ewes per group), were fed with 0, 20, 40 and 60% of ALH as berseem hay replacement. The experiment lasted 16 weeks and showed that there was no significant difference (P>0.05) in daily dry matter intake ewes body weight change, milk yield and compositions and lambs daily gain during lactation season due to the supplementation of lactating ewes with graded levels of ALH compared with control treatment. Milk yield values were 24.1, 23.9, 24.2 and 24.3 g/d and ADG values were 147.3, 145.5, 152.7 and 150.9 g/d for control, 20, 40 and 60% ALH, respectively. It may be concluded that A. saligna leaves hay can be used as alternative feed sources for lactating ewes. | ||||
Keywords | ||||
Lactating ewes; feed intake; milk yield; milk composition; lambs daily gain | ||||
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