Effect of Feeding Feed Blocks Enriched with Different Sources of Protein on the Performance of Awassi Ewes during Late Pregnancy, Suckling and Milking Stages

K. Ibrahim, Hadeel

	Effect of Feeding Feed Blocks Enriched with Different Sources of Protein on the Performance of Awassi Ewes during Late Pregnancy, Suckling and Milking Stages
The Iraqi Journal of Veterinary Medicine (IJVM)
Article 14, Volume 32, Issue 1, 2008, Pages 180-197 PDF (0 K)
Author
Hadeel K. Ibrahim
Abstract
Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of feeding feed blocks (FB) enriched with different sources of protein on the performance of Awassi ewes during late pregnancy, suckling and milking stages. Experiment (1) was conducted to investigate the effect of feeding feed blocks enriched with different sources of protein on the performance of Awassi ewes during late pregnancy. Eighty pregnant Awassi ewes (mean live weight 49.20 ± 1.36Kg), aged 3-5 years were allocated into four groups according to ewes’ live weight. First group (T1) fed ordinary high energy FB (OFB) + straw (ad-libitum). The second group (T2) fed FB enriched with cottonseed meal (FBCSM) + straw (ad-libitum). The third group (T3) fed FB enriched with sunflower seed meal (FBSSM) + straw (ad-libitum). The fourth group (T4) fed barley grains + straw (ad-libitum) (Farmer practice). Experiment (2) was conducted to investigate the effect of feeding high energy feed blocks enriched with different sources of protein on the performance of Awassi ewes during suckling and milking stages. Sixty-four Awassi ewes (mean live weight 43.62 ±1.13 kg), aged 3-5 years were allocated into four groups according to ewes’ live weight and milk yield. First group (T1) fed OFB + barley grains + straw (ad-libitum). The second group (T2) fed FBCSM + barley grains + straw (ad-libitum). The third group (T3) FBSSM + barley grains + straw (ad-libitum). The fourth group (T4) fed barley grains + straw (ad-libitum) (Farmer practice). The experimental diets were fed during the last six weeks of pregnancy, 90 days during suckling stage and 45 days during milking stage. The results of Experiment 1 indicated that despite no significant differences between the four groups on studied traits (ewes weight changes and lambs birth weight), but there was a trend the groups (T1, T2 and T3) fed FB performed better than group T4 fed according to the farmer’s practice. Group T2 that was fed FBCSM had slightly better performance than groups T1, T3 and T4, which were fed OFB, FBSSM and farmer, practice diets respectively. The results of Experiment 2 showed that groups fed FB (T1, T2, and T3) performed significantly (P<0.05) better than farmer practice group (T4) on all traits (ewes’ weight changes, milk yield and lambs weights). Group T2 that was fed FBCSM had higher (P<0.05) ewes’ milk yield during suckling and milking stage and lambs weaning weight (25.63 kg) as compared with T1 and T4 which were fed OFB and farmer practice diets respectively.

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