Poor Quality Roughage In Ewes Nutrition During Pregnancy And Suckling Periods:

Sayeda Mahmoud Mahmoud Ahmed

1085- SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONThe present study was carried out at EL -Gemmiza ExperimentalStation of Animal Production Research Institute, Agricultural.Research Centre, Ministry of Agriculture.The study included feeding, metabolism trials to determine thedigestibility and feeding values of six tested rations, three ofthem included untreated rice straw and the others included ricestraw treated with 3% anhydrous ammonia. Thirty six crossbred(Suffolk X Ossimi) ewes were selected randomly with age of 2 3years and average weight of 40 - 55 Kg. Animals were randomlydivided into 6 groups of animals each. the first group (let) wasfed untreated rice straw + hay + barley. 2 nd group was feduntreated rice straw +barley + co -op mixture. 3 t~ groupuntreated rice straw +barley +poultry litter. 4 th group treatedrice straw + hay + barley. 5 th group treated rice straw + barley+co op mixture and 6 th group treated rice straw +barley +poultry litter. These six rations were fed to ewes during early,late pregnancy and lactation stages. The percentages of ingredientsin each ratIon differed according to the requirementsof each stage. Feed intake. rumenal characteristics. body weightof ewes, some blood contents some milk contents. and some woolcharacteristics. of ewes during early and late pregnancy and lactationstages were studied. In addition to that the study includedweekly change in lamb’s body weights during eleven weeks.Tne most important results obtained could be summarized asfollows: -1. The inclusion of ammonia treatedrations increased obviously CP and ashdecreased NFE contents and slightly increasedcompared to rations with untreated roughage.rice straw in mixedcontents. while itCF contents. when2. Ammonia treatment significantly increased the digestibilityof all nutrients in the experimental rations except EE digestibilityand the effect was obvious in CF digestibility in rationsincluding poultry litter. The digestion coefficients of DM. OM. CFand EE of the experimental rations fed in early. late pregnancyand lactation stages were nearly the same. At pregnancy stages CPdigestibility values were significantly higher than those at lactationstage. A reverse trend was observed with respect to NFEdigestibility.3. In early and late pregnancy stages. the average of TDN andSV values were nearly the same. while average values at lactationstage were significantly higher than the values at both pregnancystages. The differences between values of TDN and SV of the experimentalrations due to treatment and ration effects. were non-significant. Rations containing pOUltry litter (R3 and R6) hadlower TDN and SV values than the other rations.The differences between values of DCP. due to stage. treatmentand ration effects. were significant (P