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Genetic selection is an important method to enhance productive traits in local sheep through crossbreeding and selection programs. The objectives of this study were to estimate the genetic parameters of total milk yield (MY) and lactation period (LP), and to investigate the association between the estimated breeding values of milk yield with 50 K SNP chip results in Awassi sheep. Heritability and repeatability estimates were 0.19 and 0.317 for MY and 0.085 and 0.163 for LP, respectively. The Genomic scan covered 42,478 SNPs and revealed two candidate loci (s244475780.1 and s51470.1) that significantly affect milk production, located on Spermatogenesis-Associated Protein6 (SPATA6) and Galactose-3-O-Sulfotransferase 3 (GAL3ST3) genes. The genotype frequencies for the SPATA6 gene variant were 0.0566 for AA, 0.4528 for AG, and 0.4906 for AA, with allele frequency of 0.283 for A and 0.717 for G. The genotype frequencies for the GAL3ST3 gene variants were 0.07843 for TT, 0.4118 for TG, and 0.5098 for GG, with allele frequency of 0.284 for T and 0.716 for G. The two SNPs genotypes are promising biomarkers to increase milk production during genetic selection programs by reducing the frequency of G alleles in the two loci in Awassi sheep genome.

Flock productivity is affected by reproductive traits controlled by many factors such as ovulation rate, hormones, and genetics. Many genes are associated with fertility and other features related to it such as melatonin receptor 1A (MNTR1A) gene, inhibin βA (INHBA) gene, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-1) gene, and prolactin gene, and many other new candidates, adiponectin gene (ADIPOQ) is one of them, which are associated with reproduction and fertility. This study aimed to evaluate the genetic variation of the ADIPOQ gene concerning the litter size of Awassi ewes. Genomic DNA isolated from 114 Awassi ewes produced single lambs and 84 Awassi ewes produced twin lambs. By polymerase chain reaction (PCR), we amplified all three exons (368 bp, 448 bp, and 363 bp) of the ADIPOQ gene (exons 1, 2, and 3). Three genotypes were found in the 368 bp amplicons, the CC, CA, and AA genotypes. Novel mutation c.198473337C > A was discovered in the CA genotype through a sequencing reaction. This single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) showed a highly significant (P ≤ 0.01) association with litter size, in that the sheep with this SNP had a larger litter size than those without it. The ewes with the AA genotype had 1.97 lambs more than those with the CC and CA genotypes. Using logistic regression, the c.198473337C > A SNP was confirmed to be responsible for increasing the litter size. In conclusion, the c.198473337C > A SNP appears to have an interesting and positive impact on reproductive traits (especially litter size) in Awassi sheep. In light of these data, the genetic variant of the ADIPOQ gene could be used for developing marker-assisted selection programs to improve litter size in Awassi sheep.

According to archaeological and genetic research, Turkey is a major sheep domestication center. Akkaraman has the largest population among the sheep breeds of Turkey, and until now, the Akkaraman breed has only been categorized as “type” based on morphological similarities. In the present study, Akkaraman types (Karakas, Kangal, and Savak) were assessed for the first time for their genetic structure and relationship with other sheep breeds (Morkaraman, Awassi, and Norduz) living in the same area using 29 microsatellite loci. A total of 594 animals were genotyped for genetic characterization. According to results, Akkaraman types (Karakas, Kangal, and Savak) were distinguished from each other based on microsatellite loci information. We determined that Savak-Akkaraman sheep have distinct genotypes, which most likely resulted from the effects of different breeding histories, geographic distributions, ecological factors, or the effects of selection. This is the first report on the genetic diversity of Akkaraman sheep varieties, and the data generated by this research could be useful to constitute a source for sustainable development of genetic resources and conservation activities to avoid losses of world livestock genetic heritage.

Controlling rumen fermentation using buffering agents could contribute to enhancing ruminant productivity and performance. This study was realized to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation of AcidBuf, sodium bicarbonate, calseapowder and WMC seaweed (Utva Lactuca extra) on the animal performance, volatile fatty acids, rumen pH, rumen histology and carcass characteristics of growing male Awassi lambs. A total of 60 lambs was divided into five groups. One group served as a control and fed only on a concentrate diet without any buffering, whereas the other four groups were fed the concentrate diet supplemented with 0.4% AcidBuf (Buf1), 0.4% AcidBuf plus sodium bicarbonate, 50 : 50 (Buf2), 0.4% calseapowder (Buf3) or 0.4% WMC Seaweed (Buf4) for 98 days. The feed conversion ratio was (P

Awassi dairy sheep farmers in the Middle East are facing high feed costs, particularly during the milk production season, along with large fluctuation in grain and straw prices. Incorporating agro-industrial byproducts into the diet of Awassi dairy sheep can help to balance diets and decrease costs. But it may affect milk quality through changes in the fatty acid profile. Six experimental diets were compared to a control diet in the research station of the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) in Tal Hadya, Syria. Milking Awassi ewes (n = 56) were used to test six experimental diets, in which supplements comprised molasses, sugar beet pulp, or cotton seed cake to a traditional control diet contained barley, wheat bran, and barley straw. Milk samples were collected on a weekly basis from April to June. The daily milk production and fat content were enhanced in diets containing urea-treated wheat straw (P

This study was conducted using 80 multiparous Awassi ewes during the breeding season to compare the effects of controlled internal drug release (CIDR) treatment durations on ewe reproductive performance, hormone profiles, and economic production measures. Ewes were evenly allotted to one of various CIDR treatment durations (3, 6, 9, or 12 d) in four groups (CIDR3, CIDR6, CIDR9, and CIDR12 (control), respectively). The ewes in all groups were injected with 300 IU of equine Chorionic Gonadotropin (eCG) at the time of withdrawal. Blood samples were collected at the time of CIDR insertion and withdrawal, as well as at the time of insemination to measure serum estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) concentrations. Timed insemination was performed at 48 h post CIDR withdrawal. The heat detection rate was significantly (P

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of feeding growing Awassi lambs on sweet lupin (LUP; Lupinus angustifolius) on nutrient intake, in vivo digestibility, growth performance and carcass quality. Twenty-seven lambs (average body weight (BW) 16.5 ± 0.88 kg) were assigned randomly to 3-diet groups, namely:1) no LUP (CON), 2) 125 g/kg LUP (LUP125) or 250 g/kg (LUP250) dry matter (DM) in replacement of portion of barley grain and soybean meal. The study lasted for 84 days (first 7 days were used as adaptation period followed by 77 days to collect the data). Nutrient intake was measured daily. Lambs’ BW was measured at the commencement of the study and every two weeks during the whole study. On day 60, 15 lambs (5 from each group) were chosen at random and moved to metabolism cages to determine nutrient in vivo digestibility and N balance parameters. Lambs fed LUP250 showed greater (P ≤ 0.05) intakes of DM, crude protein and ether extract than the CON and LUP125 fed groups; however, their NDF data tended (P = 0.07) to surpass other groups. Intake of metabolizable energy was greater (P = 0.02) in lupin-containing diets than the CON diet. Lambs’ fed LUP250 diet had greater (P

Throughout a 63 day-period, thirty fat-tailed Awassi ram lambs were used to determine the influence of feeding olive cake (OC) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (SC) supplementation on performance and blood metabolites. Intact male lambs with an average initial body weight (BW) of 25.0 kg ± 1.91 were randomly assigned to 3 dietary treatments; lambs fed the conventional diet (CON; n = 10; group 1) or OC containing diets (n = 20). Within the OC diet, 10 of the lambs received a diet containing 150 g/kg dietary dry matter (DM) OC (OC; group 2) and the other 10 received OC diet plus 0.5 g/head/day SC (OCSC; group 3). Lambs were offered ad libitum access to the assigned diets until the end of the study. On day 0, 21, 42, and 63, lamb BW was measured before the morning feeding to evaluate average daily gain (ADG) and feed:gain ratio (feed efficiency). Additionally, on the same days, ten milliliters of blood were collected before feeding from the jugular vein and analyzed for blood metabolite concentrations and liver enzymes. With the exception of ether extract (EE) intake, which was greater ( P 0.01) in OC containing diets than CON diet, no differences ( P ≥ 0.11) were observed in DM, crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (aNDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) intakes among dietary treatments. Digestibility of DM, CP, aNDF and ADF decreased ( P ≤ 0.04) in OC and OCSC diets vs the CON diet. However, digestibility of EE increased ( P 0.01) in OC containing diets over the CON diet. No significant differences were noticed in total gain, ADG and feed efficiency among dietary treatments. No differences were observed in serum content of urea N, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase among treatments. However, serum content of glucose tended to be greater ( P = 0.07) in the OC and OCSC groups than in the CON group. In all measured variables, SC supplementation did not show any differences over the OC diet alone. In summary, results of the current study indicate that feeding olive cake for growing Awassi lambs could replace the conventional feeds at 150 g/kg of dietary DM; whereas Saccharomyces cerevisiae supplementation did not show any significant benefits.

The objective of this study was to investigate the pre-weaning survival rates of Awassi lambs and identify the causes of death in extensive and semi-extensive production systems. The study was designed to collect data under field conditions. Data were recorded on 29,290 lambs born alive during lambing seasons from 2011 to 2015. Postmortem autopsy findings were collected from 5448 lambs died during the pre-weaning period. About 63.5% of losses occurred during the first 7 days of life. The overall pre-weaning mortality rates were 19.7% and 16.9% in the extensive and semi-extensive production systems, respectively. Lamb birth weight had a strong effect (P

A study was conducted to evaluate the effects of naringin supplementation on antioxidant status and immune response of lambs under hot environmental conditions. Eighteen 4-month-old Awassi male lambs (initial body weight 23.8 ± 1.3 kg) were orally dosed with naringin in a 60-day trial during the summer months (July and August) in Saudi Arabia. The lambs were randomly assigned to receive 0, 7 or 14 g of naringin, administered as a weekly oral dose. Feed intake was measured weekly, and the lambs were weighed on days 1, 15, 30, 45 and 60. Rectal temperature (RT) and respiration rate (RR) were measured three times (0800, 1200 and 1600 h) on days 1, 15, 30, 45 and 60. Blood samples were collected from all lambs on days 1, 15, 30, 45 and 60 to measure enzymatic concentrations and total primary antibody level in serum, antioxidant variables in plasma and hematological variables in whole blood. Lambs were injected intradermally with 0.15 mg phytohemagglutinin (PHA) on day 45, and the immune response to this antigen was measured 0 and 24 h after injection. Oral administration of 7 g/week of naringin resulted in an increase in average daily gain (13.4%; P P P P P P

A study was conducted to determine the effect of partial replacement of wheat straw by Atriplex halimus L. (ATR) on growth performance, nutrient intake, digestibility, carcass characteristics and meat quality of Awassi lambs fed finishing diet. Twenty seven Awassi ram lambs (initial body weight 14.9 ± 0.54 kg) were divided randomly into three dietary groups. Group one served as a control and received no ATR (CON), group two (ATR75) and three (ATR150) received diet containing 75 and 150 g/kg ATR, respectively. Lambs were housed individually in shaded pen (1.5 × 0.75 m), and fed ad libitum isonitrogenous diets. Nutrient intakes were determined daily throughout the experimental period, which lasted for 91 days. On day 56, of the fattening period, 6 lambs from each group were chosen at random and housed individually in metabolism crates to determine nutrient digestibilities and N balance. At the end of the study, all lambs were slaughtered to evaluate carcass characteristics and meat quality. Intakes of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) were similar among treatment diets as well as water intake. Growth performance parameters did not differ among all treatment diets although lambs fed on the CON diet had greater ( P P P longissimuss muscle leaner dimensions and fat measurements were comparable among all treatment groups. Also, carcasses from different dietary groups scored similar pH, cooking loss, water holding capacity, shear force and color coordinates. Results of this study demonstrated the possibility of including A . halimus L. up to 150 g/kg in fattening diets of Awassi lambs without any adverse effects on growth performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality; whereas it reduced the cost of feeding.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of feeding layer hen litter (LL) at various levels on nutrient intake, digestibility, N balance and growth performance of Awassi ram lambs. Forty two Awassi lambs [initial body weight (BW) = 20.5 ± 0.88 kg; age 70 ± 2.02 days] were randomly assigned to three isonitogenous fattening diets for 75 days. The LL was included in the diets at 0 (LL0; n = 14), 150 g/kg (LL150; n = 14), and 300 g/kg (LL300; n = 14) of dietary dry matter (DM) to replace part of the soybean meal and barley grain. On day 50 of the fattening period, 6 animals from each group were randomly selected and housed individually in metabolism crates (1.05 × 0.80 m) to evaluate nutrient digestibility and N balance. Intake of DM (DMI) was greater ( P P P P P

Human exchange networks are instrumental in influencing gene flow among domesticates. Here, we investigated levels of within- and between-population genetic diversity in 289 animals from six indigenous sheep populations in Egypt (Barki, Farafra, Ossimi, Rahmani, Saidi, Souhagi) and 119 individuals of Awassi breed from Egypt, Turkey and Syria using 13 autosomal microsatellites. Although our analysis revealed genetic differentiation between Souhagi and other Egyptian populations, and between the Awassi from Egypt and the ones from Syria and Turkey, most likely due to reproductive isolation, Bayesian analysis identified two gene pools underlying the ancestral genetic diversity while multivariate analysis identified nine genetic clusters which could be subdivided into four broad genetic groups. Further analysis revealed that this genetic structure was the result of the exchange of genetic stocks along the Nile River valley and the Mediterranean Sea coast, but, minimal gene flow between flocks found in the Northern, Central and Southern Egypt across the Western desert. Our results support the fact that human interaction networks have shaped the genetic architecture of domestic animals while harsh environments such as deserts tend to limit human interactions and hence gene flow among domesticates.

Improved Awassi sheep from Israel has been used for the improvement of the productivity of Ethiopian short-fat tailed Menz and Wollo sheep breeds through crossbreeding. High density (~50,000) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers distributed along the ovine genome were analyzed for Menz (n = =34), Wollo (n = =18), local Awassi (n = =24) and improved Awassi (n = =23) sheep breeds to assess genetic diversity and population structure. Proportion of polymorphism was highest for local Awassi (96.2%) followed by the Ethiopian breeds (91.7 to 93.0%). Lowest proportion of polymorphic SNP was found in improved Awassi (84.3%). Expected heterozygosity was high (0.37) for local Awassi followed by the local Ethiopian breeds (0.35 and 0.36) and the improved Awassi (0.35). Highest genetic differentiation measured as fixation index (FST) appeared between local Ethiopian breeds and improved Awassi (FST ~ 0.14) while the two Ethiopian breeds were closely related (FST=0.004). Surprisingly, local Awassi sheep differentiated from improved Awassi at a higher level (FST = 0.09) than it differentiated from Wollo (FST = 0.058) and Menz (FST = 0.065). Principal component, model based structure and neighbor net analysis revealed clustering of populations according to their geographic location and breed development history. Strong selection pressure on the Awassi sheep resulted in significant differentiation from local Awassi, less within population variation, excess monomorphic loci and high level of runs of homozygosity (ROH) based genomic inbreeding. The high level of differentiation between local Ethiopian and improved Awassi supported the use of improved Awassi sheep to improve Menz and Wollo sheep breeds. However, importation of Awassi sheep and mating should consider strategies of controlling the level of inbreeding.

Survival analysis applying proportional hazards models was used to investigate genetic and non-genetic factors affecting ewe longevity and lamb survival of sheep in Ethiopia. Data were obtained from an on-station closed nucleus breeding program of Menz sheep and an on-farm Awassi×Menz sheep crossbreeding project. A total of 695 ewes and 1890 lambs born from the nucleus population of Menz sheep were used for the analysis of ewe productive life and lamb survival to yearling age respectively. In addition, 5530 lamb records of purebred local and crossbreds with proportions of ~25–50% Awassi, collected from three locations were used for the analysis of lamb survival from birth to weaning age. The effects of year, ewe parity and litter weight at weaning were significant (p

The aim of this study was to evaluate an experimental Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) bacterin and an indirect ELISA system to assess quantitatively the acquired immunity in Awassi ewes to the vaccine and/or Echinacea purpurea (EP) dried roots. Four treatments of the ewes were included in the experimental design, with 6 ewes/treatment. The first treatment (T1) had the controls that were non-vaccinated and non-treated with EP. The T2 ewes were only treated with EP. The T3 and T4 ewes were vaccinated at D1 (initiation of trial) and D10, while the T4 ewes were additionally administered the EP dried roots. Blood was collected from the jugular vein of all ewes at D1, D10, D21 and D45. The construction of the vaccine and the ELISA are detailed within the manuscript. The ELISA was able to detect quantitatively the significant acquired primary and secondary immunity to the vaccine in T3 and T4 ewes, compared to their low level of background immunities at initiation of the experiment (p0.05). In addition, the ELISA detected the absence of seroconversion at all blood sampling times (p0.05) in T1 control ewes, and in the T2 ewes that were given only the (EP) (p0.05). Moreover, the ELISA was able to uncover the significant seroconversion of secondary immune response in T4 ewes at D21 compared to that at D10 (p0.05), and the absence of significant seroconversion of secondary response in T3 ewes. This is the first work in literature that reports the need to supplement the vaccination by the experimental SE bacterin with daily oral intake of 250mg of EP-dried roots, effective the first vaccination day and up to 21 days, for obtaining a statistically significant seroconversion.

Sheep husbandry is the main source of income for farmers in arid zones. Increasing sheep production on steppes may increase the greenhouse gas production. The objective of this study was to investigate the nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from the steppes for Awassi sheep keeping and feed cropping in arid zones such as Syria. The methodology developed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was used to estimate N2O emissions. A survey was conducted on 64 farms in Syria to gather data for analysis. Precipitation and crop yield data from 2001 to 2009 were also used for calculation and modelling. Sheep-keeping systems, precipitation, year and the region have significant effects on N2O emissions (p

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of using corn silage (SILAGE) or wheat hay (HAY) as a source of forage on nursing performance of Awassi ewes. Forty ewes (body weight; BW = 43.5 ± 1.58 kg) and their single lambs (BW = 6.3 ± 0.28 kg) were randomly assigned to two diets; SILAGE vs. HAY (four pens/diet; five ewes/pen). Concentrate feeding was restricted to 1.1 kg dry matter (DM)/ewe/d, whereas forage was offered ad libitum. The study lasted for 56 d (7 d of adaptation and 49 d of data collection). Ewes and lambs were weighed after the adaptation period and at the end of the study. Milk yield and blood samples were collected on days 9, 16, 23, 30, 37, 44 and 51. Intakes of forage and total DM were greater (P

This study investigated whether offering either binary or multiple choice among low quality forages has an effect on intake and feeding behaviour compared to no-choice situations where only one single low-quality forage is offered. Forages from different woody plants and straw were tested in lactating sheep either in Syria (Exp. 1; Awassi sheep) or in Switzerland (Exp. 2; East Friesian Dairy sheep). Artemisia herba-alba, Atriplex leucoclada, Haloxylon articulatum, Noaea mucronata, and Salsola vermiculata were used in Exp. 1. The three most preferred plants (A. leucoclada, H. articulatum and S. vermiculata) were tested again in Exp. 2 together with Betula pendula, Castanea sativa and Juglans regia. Both experiments started with a binary choice test where one plant and barley straw were offered separately for 4 h in the morning to six sheep (test period) in a random sequence in consecutive 7-day sub-periods. A control group (n = 6 per experiment) received only straw in the test period. For the rest of the day, a basal diet composed of straw ad libitum and concentrate was offered. After the binary choice test, two 2-week periods followed, where in the first straw only and in the second all test plants were offered to all animals from both groups to ascertain equal familiarisation with all plants. For the following 7-day multiple choice test animals were allocated to two new groups. The ‘multiple choice’ group could choose among all test plants and straw during the 4-h test period, the ‘control’ group received only the basal diet. Intakes of test feeds during 4 h and 24 h as well as feeding behaviour during the first 30 min were recorded. Additionally, nutrient intake was determined. Total daily test feed intake was always higher in the choice groups, but this was more pronounced in the multiple choice situation (Exp. 1: 30 and 48, Exp. 2: 49 and 74 g dry matter/kg live-weight0.75 with ‘control’ and ‘multiple choice’, respectively). A. leucoclada (Exp. 1; proportionately 0.73 of total test plant intake) and B. pendula (Exp. 2; 0.87) were the preferred plants in the multiple choice test and also with binary choice. Most other feeds were only consumed in low amounts in the binary and even less in multiple choice situations. In conclusion, giving sheep the choice among low quality forages seemed to be advantageous. Even though in both experiments animals preferred especially one plant, choice still facilitated intake.

In this study, it is aimed to be determined blood serum calcium (Ca), potassium (K), phosphorus (P), and cobalt (Co) levels of Awassi ewes maintained at village conditions. Totally, 63 Awassi ewes with 2 and 3 years old were used as animal material. In the beginning (April), the middle (May), and the end (June) of lactation period, it were determined that means of Ca, K, P, and Co concentrations in blood serum were 1.2806 mg/l, 3.3888 mg/l, 5.0706 mg/dl and 0.037608 mg/l for April; 1.1805 mg/l, 3.4088 mg/l, 5.1286 mg/dl and 0.0176 mg/l for May; 1.7801 mg/l, 3.6048 mg/l, 4.8919 mg/dl and 0.0223 mg/l for June, respectively. As a result, the findings suggested that Ca, K, P, and Co levels of blood serum in Awassi sheep were within normal range for rural conditions.

The study was conducted to detect haptoglobin in seminal plasma (SP-Hp) of Awassi rams and the effect of the breeding season on its concentration, along with determining the correlation with its concentration in serum (S-Hp) and main semen variables. Pre-warmed artificial vagina was used to collect semen samples biweekly from five Awassi rams. Semen samples were evaluated for volume, concentration and sperm motility. Blood samples were collected 10–30 min after semen collection. The concentration of serum and seminal plasma Hp was determined using ELISA. The mean ± SESP-Hp concentrations ranged from 0.25 ± 0.05 to 0.81 ± 0.44 μg/ml, whereas those of S-Hp-ranged from 0.99 ± 0.29 to 2.99 ± 0.18 mg/ml. There was a significant (P

We modeled data with Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) for the prediction of consequent milk yield. Models for ANNs were developed, using back-propagation networks with single-hidden layer and sigmoid activation functions. The input variables of the network were age, number of lactations, monthly milk yield (February–May), and lactation duration. The output variable was lactation milk yield. The modeling results demonstrated excellent agreement between the experimental data and the predicted values, with a high determination coefficient (R2 = 0.9998). Hence, the developed model was able to analyze non-linear multi-variant data with a remarkable performance, using limited number of parameters and a short calculation time. The current model may prove to be an alternative method to control expiration date of milk yield shown on labeling and provide safer food supply to consumers. The major use of this predictive process can be formulation of accurate selection decisions based on prior knowledge of the outcomes.

a b s t r a c t A study was conducted to evaluate the effects of feeding Prosopis juliflora pods (PJP) on performance of nursing Awassi ewes and their lambs. Thirty Awassi ewes and their lambs were randomly assigned to one of the three dietary treatments being no PJP (PJP0; n = 10), 125 g/kg PJP (PJP125; n = 10), and 250 g/kg PJP (PJP250; n = 10) of the diets offered ad libitum in replace of the barley grain. The study lasted for 8 weeks. No differences occurred (P > 0.05) in dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), and metabolizable energy (ME) intake among groups. However, neutral detergent fiber (NDF) was higher (P < 0.05) for PJP250 than PJP0 diet, while PJP125 group was intermediate. Moreover, acid detergent fiber (ADF) intake was the highest (P < 0.05) in the PJP250. Intakes of NDF and ADF also increased linearly (P < 0.05) with increasing PJP content. Digestibility of DM, OM, CP, and NDF was similar among diets but ADF digestibility was lower (P < 0.05) in the PJP250 than the PJP0 diet. There were no differences in final body weight (BW) of ewes among groups. Awassi ewes fed the PJP0 diet lost less (P < 0.05) BW than ewes fed the PJP125 and PJP250 diets. Lambs fed the PJP125 and PJP250 diets had higher (P < 0.05) weaning BW and average BW gain than the PJP0 treatment group. Similarly, weaning BW and average BW gain increased linearly (P < 0.05) with increasing PJP content. Ewes fed the PJP250 diet had higher (P < 0.05) milk production than ewes fed the PJP0 and PJP125 diets with no differences among treatment groups in total solids, fat and protein content. Awassi ewes that received PJP250 diet had lower (P < 0.05) kilogram DM intake: kilogram milk production than PJP0, while PJP125 group was intermediate. Cost/kg milk production (US$) was the highest (P < 0.05) in PJP0 group compared with PJP125 or PJP250 groups. Results demonstrate the potential of including PJP as a feed ingredient for nursing Awassi ewes and their lambs due to the reduction in feed cost and the improvement in milk production.

Objective was to improve the growth of ewe lambs so that they could be mated in their first year. Twenty-four Awassi ewe lambs were randomly assigned to one of three treatments. Treatments were: no Ca-LCFA (CON; the basal diet), basal diet+50 g/ewe day (50Ca-LCFA) or basal diet+100 g/ewe day (100Ca-LCFA) calcium salts of long chain fatty acids (Ca-LCFA). Nutrient intakes were similar (P>0.05) among groups except for the ether extract (EE) and metabolizable energy (ME). Intake of EE was greater (P 0.97) among groups. Calcium concentrations were the highest (P

The study was conducted to use the transabdominal ultrasonography in standing position for pregnancy diagnosis in Awassi ewes. Four groups of ewes were included, the first group included 35 ewes examined after 90–100 days of insemination, the second group included 14 ewes examined after 70–80 days of insemination, the third group included 78 ewes have different date of insemination (45–120 days), the fourth group included 15 ewes examined at five different times; 21–24, 28–32, 40–43, 47–50 and 57–60 days after insemination. The ewes were examined transabdominally in standing position by applying of 3.5 MHz sectorial probe at the hairless area of the inguinal region of right sides without shaving of the ventral abdominal wall. At lamping the accuracy of ultrasonographic examinations was 100% for ewes of the first three groups, the diagnosis of pregnancy was very fast (about 0.5 min) by observation of fluid filled uterus and placentomes, but observation of fetuses and their parts required more time (about 1 min). The accuracy of pregnancy diagnosis in ewes of fourth group which done at 21–24, 28–32, 40–43, 47–50 and 57–60 days after insemination were 53% (8/15), 80% (12/15), 100% (15/15), 100% (15/15) and 100% (15/15), respectively. In conclusion, transabdominal ultrasonography in standing position is fast, safe and reliable for pregnancy diagnosis in Awassi ewes, and 100% of accuracy can be got after 40 days of insemination.

Twenty Barki X Awassi crossbred ewes were used in this study to evaluate the sexual and ovarian activity of ewes fed different types of roughages during seasonal anestrus. Ewes were allotted to two groups according to the type of roughage. Ewes in the first group were fed Egyptian clover ( Trifolum alexandrinum ) ( n = 10; clover group); while the ewes in the second group where fed corn silage ( n = 10; silage group) for 50 days. Both groups also received a daily commercial concentrate mixture. After 30 days from the onset of the nutritional treatment, estrus was synchronized using two intramuscular injection of 125 μg of cloprostenol, 9 days apart. Sexual activity of the ewes was observed daily during the entire experimental period. Further, ovarian activity of each ewe was monitored using transrectal ultrasonography, from 48 h after the second PGF 2α injection (follicular phase). Serum estradiol (E 2 ) and progesterone (P 4 ) concentrations were determined during the follicular phase, together with serum progesterone concentrations being determined during the luteal phase (11 days after the second PGF 2α injection). Results revealed that the mean total number of follicles/ewe and mean diameter of the largest follicles (mm) tended to decrease in the clover group (1.2 ± 0.2 and 6.6 ± 0.4 mm, respectively), compared to those in the silage group (1.8 ± 0.3 and 7.6 ± 0.3 mm, respectively). These differences were however not significant. Although, the mean number of ovulatory follicles/ewe was similar in both treatment groups (0.8 ± 0.2 in the clover and 0.7 ± 0.2 in silage groups, respectively), the serum estradiol concentration decreased ( P > 0.05) in the clover group (50.8 ± 6.4 pg/ml), compared to that of the silage group (61.1 ± 7.7 pg/ml). Serum progesterone levels during the follicular and luteal phases indicated that the percentage of ewes ovulating was in line for both the clover (66.7%) and the silage (50%) groups. However, all ewes in the clover group failed to show signs of overt estrus after estrous synchronization, while 40% of the ewes in the silage group exhibited signs of estrus after estrous synchronization, and conceived ( P

Objectives of this study were to record, classify and describe cutaneous and ocular neoplasms of sheep and goats as well as their diagnosis after surgical excision, and to determine the link of tumor occurrence with breed, sex, age, fleece or coat color, and tumor location. Clinical cases (n = 104) of tumors (sheep = 89, goats = 15) were presented for surgical treatment. Sheep and goats with tumors were subjected to detailed study including breed, age, sex, and fleece or coat color of the animal, case history, gross and microscopic appearance of the tumor, surgical treatment, and postoperative care. Five different types of tumors were diagnosed in sheep and goats namely; squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), malignant melanoma, lipoma, fibroma, and fibrosarcoma. Mixed tumors in the form of SCC with melanoma were also recorded. Tumors were frequent in females and were observed in two sheep breeds (Awassi and Najdi) and in Ardi goats. Detailed gross and microscopic descriptions of neoplasms were cited. Predilection sites of neoplasia in sheep were on the ear(s), eye and eyelids, shoulder region, on the back, flank region, lateral to the umbilicus, lateral to the udder, on the udder, hind limbs, and on the inner aspect of the tail. Tumors in goats were present on the eye and eyelids, base of the horn, carpus, udder, anus, perineum, vulva, and both anus and vulva. In conclusion, SCC and malignant melanoma were prevalent neoplasms in sheep and goats, respectively. Ocular SCC was frequent in Najdi sheep that have white colored head; however, SCC was frequent in the flank and tail of Awassi sheep that have white colored trunk. Ovine and caprine neoplasms were prevalent in females and at ages of 4–6 years and 3–6 years, respectively.

An 8 wk study was conducted to evaluate effects of feeding broiler litter (BL) on milk production and composition as well as nutrient intake and digestibility of nursing Awassi ewes. Thirty Awassi ewes (body weight (BW) = 50.3 ± 2.47 kg) and their single lambs (7.0 ± 0.85 kg BW) were randomly assigned to one of three dietary treatments ( n = 10) being no BL (BL0), 200 (BL200) or 400 (BL400) g/kg BL (dry matter (DM) basis). The first week was used as an adaptation phase followed by 7 wk of data collection. Dry and organic matter (OM) intakes were lower (P≤0.02) for the BL400 diet than BL0 and BL200 during the study. Crude protein (CP) intake was lower (P=0.01) for BL400 fed ewes compared to those fed BL0, whilst that in BL200 fed ewes were similar to the other diets. Intakes of neutral detergent fiber (aNDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) were highest (P versus BL0 ewes, with no difference between these diets and BL200. Crude protein and aNDF digestibility were lower (P≤0.03) in diets containing BL compared to BL0. Ewes fed the BL400 diet lost more (P i.e ., final BW, total BW gain, and daily BW gain), did not differ among diets of their mother, and ewe milk production and component levels did not differ among diets. Broiler litter inclusion at up to 200 g/kg DM to diets such as used in this experiment is possible without negative effects on performance of Awassi ewes and their lambs.

Length of productive life (LPL) of a ewe is a trait of considerable economic importance in sheep farming. Records of 66,050 Awassi and 12,010 Najdi ewes belong to 28 flocks in the northern part of the Arabian Peninsula were used to investigate factors influencing their LPL under intensive production systems at arid regions. Ewes with first lambing January 1, 2003 through December 31, 2009 were subjected to survival data analysis. Weibull distribution model was used to explore different explanatory variables affecting LPL. Parity, breed, lambing interval, age at first lambing, flock effect and type of lambing were the variables with the largest contribution to the likelihood function for LPL. Average age at first lambing was 16.5 ± 1.18 and 17.7 ± 1.76 months for Awassi and Najdi ewes, respectively. Average LPL was 2204 ± 8.1 and 1635 ± 11.0 days for Awassi and Najdi ewes, respectively. Within analyzed LPL, Awassi ewes had an average of 4.1 ± 0.27 parities compared to 3.3 ± 0.34 for Najdi ones. Awassi ewes were more adaptable to intensive production system than Najdi ewes under arid conditions. Najdi ewe was 1.8 ± 0.32 more likely to be culled than Awassi ewe under the same conditions. The most important factor affecting LPL in the overall risk analysis was parity number. The relative culling risk was decreasing continuously in both breeds from the first parity (Awassi = 3.5, SE = 0.31; Najdi = 5.17, SE = 0.41) to the last one (Awassi = 0.45, SE = 0.14; Najdi = 0.63, SE = 0.42). The most appropriate lambing intervals (LI) were 221–340 days for Awassi and 251–310 days for Najdi ewes. LI below or above these ranges were significantly increased the risk of culling. Ewes lambed for the first time at ≤13 months were under considerable culling risk (Awassi = 1.42, SE = 0.19; Najdi = 2.73, SE = 0.33) compared to ewes lambed at older ages. The research showed that the optimum ages at first lambing were 17–19 months for Awassi and 20–22 months for Najdi. Ewes lambed triplets or more were under higher culling risk (Awassi = 1.72, SE = 0.10; Najdi = 1.97, SE = 0.19) than ewes lambed twins or singles. Interaction analysis showed that ewes lambed triplets or more during parity #1 were 3.42 ± 0.50 more likely to be culled than ewes lambed singles during the same parity. LPL could be increased by allowing optimum lambing intervals, mating for the first time at maturity stage, and avoiding enhancement of large litter sizes particularly during early and late parities. Different management and housing systems applied in different flocks showed significant effects on culling risk. Considerable variations in calculated LPL were due to breed and flock effects. This can be utilized by sheep breeders to increase LPL through genetic and environmental manipulations. Genetic evaluation of longevity trait in Awassi and Najdi breeds should be conducted, which will be of importance for sheep breeding programs at arid regions.

a b s t r a c t Effects of form of olive cake (OC) on growth performances and carcass quality were studied on forty-eight Awassi lambs. All lambs were male with an average body weight of 29.5 kg (S.D. = 2.3 kg) at the beginning of the experiment. Animals were randomly divided into four groups of 12 lambs each. Lambs in each group received individually corn-soybean meal (SBM) total mixed rations (TMRs). Rations were incorporated with a fixed amount (149 g/kg DM) of OC of different forms: crude OC, a product of the three centrifugation extraction procedure (control group), alkali treated, ensiled and pelleted. All rations were isonitrogenous and isocaloric. The growth experiment lasted 10 weeks. In the following week, all lambs were slaughtered. At termination of the experiment, lambs fed crude, alkali treated or ensiled OC rations consumed more feed and gained more weight (P

The influence of genotype on fattening performance and meat quality was studied in male lambs of five genotypes (n = 10): CA (F1 Charollais–Awassi), ACA (B1 Awassi–Charollais–Awassi), RA (F1 Romanov–Awassi), ARA (B1 Awassi–Romanov–Awassi) and A (Awassi). Lambs were weaned at 70 days of age and offered a diet containing 16% CP and 2.78 Mcal metabolizable energy/kg for 170 days. At the end of the fattening period, all lambs were slaughtered and Musculus semitendinosus and Musculus longissimus were excised from the right and left sides of the carcass for objective meat quality assessment. Birth weights were similar while weaning weights differed among genotypes being greater for the CA. The final and fasted live weights were found to be significantly affected by genotype; the CA genotype was heavier than A and ARA while the ACA genotype was heavier than A. Hot and cold carcass weights and dressing% differed significantly with CA genotype having greater values than A, while the remaining genotypes had intermediate values. Meat quality parameters for M. semitendinosus were different among genotypes with Awassi having higher cooking loss%, and hue angle values but lower redness values than the remaining genotypes. Yellowness values were higher for A and ARA genotype than CA and RA genotypes while ACA genotype was intermediate. Expressed juice% was the lowest for A and ARA genotypes. Lightness values for M. semitendinosus were greater for ARA and A genotypes, with no differences between A and ACA genotypes. However, M. longissimus had only greater lightness values for A and ARA with no significant differences between ARA, ACA and RA genotypes. Meat quality parameters for M. semitendinosus were affected by aging duration being significantly higher for pH, yellowness and hue angle, and lower for redness at 24 h compared to 7 days of aging. No differences were observed in all meat quality parameters for M. longissimus except in pH and cooking loss% being lower at 7 days of aging. Variation between muscles within each genotype was observed in cooking loss%, shear force values, lightness and redness. Results of this study indicate that the F1 crossbreeding of Awassi with either Charollais or Romanov yielded higher production in the resulting genotype while B1 progeny was intermediate without any adverse effects on meat quality. Additionally, aging for 7 days lowered pH and increased redness in both muscles.

Six different types of yogurt were manufactured from Damascus goat milk, Awassi ewe milk and a mixture of equal portions of the 2 species of milk using 2 types of commercial yogurt cultures (CH-1 and YF-3331). Yogurts were chemically analysed at 1, 7, 14 and 21days of storage. Results showed that cultures significantly affected acetaldehyde (P0.05), acetone (P0.05) and diacetyl (P0.001) contents. Type of milk significantly influenced acetaldehyde (P0.05), diacetyl (P0.001), acetoin (P0.001) and ethanol (P0.05) levels. Significant variations occurred in acetaldehyde (P0.001) and acetoin (P0.05) contents during the storage. Short-chain free fatty acids were the highest in ewes' milk yogurt made with culture YF-3331, and increased during storage, while the levels of medium-chain free fatty acids, except for decanoic acid, were unchanged and the amount of long-chain free fatty acids decreased during storage. Cultures used and types of milk had no effect on long-chain free fatty acids in yogurts.

The current study was designed to assess the effect of water restriction on fat metabolism in Awassi ewes orally supplemented with different levels of vitamin C. Experiment 1 (24 days) included four groups, four animals in each, with one group as control receiving daily water. The three remaining groups were watered once every four days, with the third and fourth groups receiving a daily oral dose of 3 g and 5 g vitamin C, respectively. Experiment 2 (21 days) was similarly designed except that the last group was administered one 10 g vitamin C oral dose at the beginning and at the middle of the experiment. Water restriction induced a reduction in feed intake and consequently weight loss in both experiments. Fat cell diameter, insulin, leptin, T3 and T4 concentrations tended to decrease in water restricted animals with or without vitamin C, while fatty acids and cholesterol increased. The observed changes reflect fat mobilization in water restricted Awassi ewes, which seemed to be correlated with insulin and leptin levels. Furthermore, fat mobilization reflected by high fatty acid and low leptin concentrations seemed to be more enhanced by daily supplementation of vitamin C than by the singular high dosages repeated twice, however further research is needed to confirm this observation.

Twenty-four Awassi lambs (initial body weight; BW ± SD; of 19.3 ± 2.1 kg) were utilized to study the effects of supplemental exogenous enzymes (EE) on growth performance, nutrient digestibilities, and nitrogen balance of male finishing lambs fed diets containing olive cake. Lambs were individually housed in shaded pens and randomly assigned to one of two treatments: where 0 (Control, n = 12) or 3 g/d/lamb of EE (Enzyme, n = 12) were supplemented to the basal diet just before feeding. At the end of the study (lasted for 59 days), six lambs from each treatment were randomly housed in metabolism crates to measure nutrient digestibilities and nitrogen balance. Supplemental EE had no effects (P ≥ 0.55) on nutrient intakes or growth performance of lambs in terms of growth rate, final BW, and total gain. As a result, feed conversion ratio was not affected (P = 0.94) by EE supplementation. Additionally, supplemental EE did not affect (P ≥ 0.47) nutrient (dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber, and acid detergent fiber) digestibilities or retained nitrogen. Finishing diets containing olive cake supported acceptable performance of Awassi lambs. However, supplemental EE failed to improve lambs performance. Further studies are needed to determine the appropriate method of enzyme supplementation (i.e., composition, level, etc.) or other methods to improve the nutritive value of olive cake as a feedstuff for finishing lambs.

Thirty-three Awassi lambs (18.0 ± 0.86 kg initial body weight; 75 ± 2.21 days of age) divided equally and were used in a completely randomized design to study the effect of partial replacement of barley grain by carob pods (CARP) on growth performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality. Treatment diets were no CARP (CON), 125 g/kg CARP (CARP125), and 250 g/kg CARP (CARP250) of dietary dry matter. At the end of the experiment all lambs were slaughtered to evaluate carcass characteristics and meat quality. Dry matter (DM) intake was similar among treatment diets (945.8, 932.8, and 999.5 g/d for the CON, CARP125, and CARP250 diets, respectively, P > 0.05). Other nutrient intakes (organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and acid detergent fiber (ADF)) followed the same pattern. There were no differences (P > 0.05) among treatment diets with regard to nutrient digestibility. Similarly, average daily gain and feed conversion ratio were comparable among treatment diets. Cost of gain ($/kg gain) was decreased (P

A 70-d experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of feeding poultry broiler litter (BL) at levels 0 (BL0; n = 10), 100 (BL100; n = 10), and 200 g/kg (BL200; n = 10) on performance and carcass characteristics Awassi lambs. Nutrient intakes [i.e., dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (aNDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), and copper] were similar (P>0.05) between all diets except for ether extract (EE) intake which tended to be lower (P≤0.10) for the BL20 diet than the BL0 diet whereas BL100 not different from the other two diets. Dry matter, OM, CP, aNDF, and ADF digestibility was lower (P 0.05) average daily gain (ADG) and dry matter intake (DMI):ADG. For dissected loin, intermuscular fat content was lower (P

Livestock husbandry in the dry areas of the Mediterranean basin is facing scarcity and fluctuation of feed supply and feed prices. At the same time the local agro-food industry is expanding and its by-products might be used as alternatives to traditional feed resources, but their nutritional value is not well known. Therefore, four by-products typical for the Mediterranean area were tested in vitro (n = 3 per diet or feed), in sacco (n = 6) and in vivo (n = 6) either individually or in a proportion of 0.34 of the total diet. The test feeds (broken lentils, sugar beet pulp, tomato pomace and crude olive cake) were compared to a barley–wheat bran mixture (control). Forage (barley straw) made up proportionately 0.5 of the diet. For all experiments either rumen canulated or intact castrated male Awassi sheep were employed. The thirty sheep used in the in vivo experiment weighed on average 42 kg. The animals were fed 1.1 kg dry matter (DM)/day and had free access to water. Large compositional differences (g/kg DM) between the batches of test feeds used in the present study were found in crude protein (from 79 to 245; for olive cake and broken lentils), neutral detergent fiber (aNDFom; from 283 to 584; for broken lentils and olive cake) and non-fiber carbohydrates (from 109 to 436 for tomato pomace and olive cake and to broken lentils). Two feeds (tomato pomace and olive cake) were rich in ether extract; sugar beet pulp was rich in calcium. Broken lentils had the highest effective degradabilities (ED). Olive cake was lowest in ED of OM and aNDFom (0.39 and 0.32, respectively). Olive cake caused refusals of concentrate (lower proportionate concentrate intake compared with the control, P

High feed-cost constraints are currently threatening the livelihoods of farmers fattening lambs in developing Middle Eastern countries. Reduced-cost feeds and adequate management alternatives are needed for more efficient lamb-fattening systems. Therefore lamb fattening performances of different Awassi sheep genotypes, on different diets and fattening environments, were therefore evaluated. Two trials were conducted. The first trial was conducted on-farm in northern Syria to assess the fattening performance of Syrian Awassi, and Turkish × Syrian Awassi crossbred lambs, and the suitability of 2 cost-reducing feeding diets compared to the traditional spring fattening diet of grazing green barley with supplementation (C): intensive feeding based only on concentrate and barley straw (D1) and semi-intensive grazing on vetch (Vicia sativa) with minor supplementation using the same D1-mix (D2). Lambs of both genotypes did not significantly differ in weight gain in the 49-day fattening period. There were no significant differences in weight gains among C, D1 and D2 diets: 14.4, 15.3 and 15.9 kg/lamb, respectively. The D2 diet reduced feeding costs by 20% and promoted high growth, notwithstanding its beneficial soil effects. The second trial was conducted on-station at the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), Syria, to assess the fattening performance of lambs of the above 2 genotypes in addition to Turkish × (Turkish × Syrian) crossbred lambs, both in indoor and outdoor conditions. Paralleling the first trial, live weight gains of the 3 genotypes did not differ significantly. Fattening lambs under a more favorable and healthier outdoor environment using a simple shed, avoiding negative effects of lack of ventilation and high temperature, produced significantly more live weight gain (5.8 kg) per lamb than indoors. No differences in smell, taste, juiciness and tenderness were found among genotypes in the second trial, confirming no negative effects of using these diets in the first trial, reported elsewhere. There were no statistical differences in smell, taste, juiciness and tenderness, in the meat with the distinct diets or the fattening (indoor/outdoor) environments. Both trials showed that whereas no gains could be expected by using the Turkish genotype for fattening, vetch grazing and molasses are suitable options for reducing high feed costs and could be safely used by farmers without compromising meat quality. Raising animals in a more favorable and healthier environment outdoors under a simple shed can also translate into substantial revenue in large batches of fattened lambs with considerable benefit for fattening systems.

The effect of a rumen protected form of a conjugated linoleic acid (pCLA) supplement containing approximately equal proportions of cis-9 , trans-11 and trans-10 , cis-12 isomers (11.8% and 12.1%, wt/wt as free fatty acid equivalents) on milk production, milk composition and liver lipid content; as well as the fatty acid profile of milk and liver in lactating sheep was studied. Fifty multiparous Awassi ewes were randomly divided into two equal groups after parturition and were fed a total mixed diet of corn silage, grass hay and concentrate from d 2 to 42 postpartum. Diet of ewes in the pCLA group was supplemented with 25 g/(d × ewe) of pCLA providing 2.2 g/(d × ewe) of both CLA isomers while sheep in the control group were fed an isocaloric diet supplemented with 21 g of a hydrogenated triglyceride of palm oil (HTG group). Milk yield was measured daily and milk composition was analysed on a weekly basis. Liver total lipid, triglyceride and fatty acid composition was determined from liver samples collected by percutaneous needle biopsy on d 2, d 21 and d 42 postpartum. Higher milk production (1.89 ± 0.13 vs. 1.73 ± 0.25 kg/d) and milk protein yield (96.2 ± 8.7 vs. 84.9 ± 10.2 g/d) and lower milk fat content (56.8 ± 6.2 vs. 62.7 ± 7.1 g/kg milk) was detected in the pCLA sheep than in the HTG group. No differences were observed in the dry matter intake, milk fat yield or milk protein concentration between the two groups. Supplementation with pCLA resulted in lower total lipid (72.6 ± 5.6 vs. 82.0 ± 6.0) and triglyceride (49.1 ± 5.9 vs.60.9 ± 5.7) concentrations in the liver samples collected d 21 postpartum than in the HTG group. The pCLA supplementation increased c9 , t11 C18:2 and t10 , c12 C18:2, and decreased c9 C18:1 fatty acid contents in the milk lipids. In the liver lipids pCLA supplementation resulted in higher proportions of C18:0, c9 , t11 C18:2 and t10 , c12 C18:2 fatty acids and lower c9 C18:1 comparing to HTG. We concluded that pCLA supplementation, containing t10 , c12 isomer could decrease the risk of lipid accumulation in the liver of high-lactating dairy ewes in the postpartum period. The other isomer of pCLA increased the c9 , t11 CLA content of milk lipids, which may have favourable health effects for humans consuming sheep milk or milk products.

The aim of this experiment was to study the growth performance of both ram and ewe lambs, and the carcass characteristics of ram lambs of five genotypes: Awassi (A), F 1 Charollais–Awassi (CA), F 1 Romanov–Awassi (RA), B 1 Awassi–(Charollais × Awassi) (ACA) and B 1 Awassi–(Romanov × Awassi) (ARA). One-hundred lambs (50 females and 50 males) were separated into 10 groups according to sex and genotype from weaning until the end of the experiment. Birth and weaning weights were recorded for all animals; live weight was recorded for all animals on bi-weekly intervals between 2 and 8 months of age. At 8 months of age, 6 ram lambs from each genotype (a total of 30 ram lambs) were randomly chosen for slaughter. Birth weights were similar while weaning weights differed among the five genotypes being greater for the CA. Post-weaning live weights differed among genotypes and according to lamb's sex ( P P P

Awassi lamb-fattening systems in Middle Eastern countries are popular because they can rapidly generate income. Nevertheless, feed costs constraining these systems and seasonal fluctuations in feed prices expose farmers to risk. A 90-day fattening experiment was conducted at the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), in Syria, to compare reduced-cost diets that use locally available feeds with the diet used traditionally by farmers. Thirty-six 4-month-old Awassi lambs (mean live weight 23.0 kg) were randomly assigned to three groups: (1) the control group (C), in which lambs were provided with the diet used in fattening systems in Syria; (2) the faba bean and beet molasses group (FBM), in which the lambs were fed a reduced-cost diet in which the barley given in C was replaced with faba bean and beet molasses; and (3) the wheat bran and beet molasses group (MM) replacing a large portion of the broken maize and a small portion of the barley in C. Lambs in C and the reduced-cost diets (FBM and MM) had ad libitum access to untreated (UNTWS) and urea-treated wheat straw (UTWS), respectively. An 11-day digestibility trial was conducted in a subset of the fattened lambs at the end of the growth phase. Total weight gains (24.7, 25.5 and 26.2 kg in groups C, FBM and MM, respectively) and average daily gains (0.282, 0.298 and 0.291 kg/day for C, FBM and MM, respectively) did not differ between groups (P > 0.05). The FBM and MM alternative diets were 13.5% and 11.8% less expensive, respectively, than the C diet. However, due to the higher dry matter intake of concentrate and UTWS the total feed costs per lamb on the alternative diets were 5–13% higher than in C (23.4–25.0 USD in the alternative diet groups vs. 22.2 USD in the C group). The economic returns per kilogram of weight gained did not differ, and the feed costs per kilogram weight gain were similar in the three groups (0.90, 0.98 and 0.89 USD in C, FBM and MM, respectively). No differences among groups were observed with regard to carcass traits and quality (P > 0.05). Although no cost-savings were obtained per kilogram of weight gained, the use of locally available feed resources such as molasses has the potential to reduce and stabilize fluctuating feeding grain costs during periods of high grain prices.

Six fodder plants consisting of two leguminous trees, Acacia salicina and Acacia saligna, a leguminous shrub, Cassia sturtii and three halophytic shrubs, Atriplex canescens, Atriplex halimus and Atriplex nummularia were offered ad libitum in cafeteria trials to four fat-tailed Awassi sheep (41.1 ± 3.2 kg) and four local Negev goats (36.5 ± kg). Leguminous plants are characterized by high tannin contents and halophytes by high ash contents. The animals, aged 1.5–2.0 years, were randomly picked from a large free-grazing Bedouin flock of sheep and goats that had access to the fodder plants while grazing. They were penned for three weeks prior to measurements during which time they were provided with a maintenance diet. After a 12 h fast, the animals were offered the six feeds over a 15 min period each day for 5 consecutive days to determine (1) fodder selectivity by these small ruminants and (2) whether the ranking and proportionate feed intakes were similar between sheep and goats. Time-series analyses showed that the intakes and ranking of intakes did not change over the five days. Total DMIs per 15 min were similar in sheep (95.6 ± 10.1 g) and goats (92.6 ± 17.8 g) and feed selection in goats tended to be positively correlated with that of sheep (Mantel test: n = 15; r2 = 0.48; P = 0.071). A. saligna was the most preferred feed in both small ruminants (by Jacobs' selectivity index) and the two Acacia species comprised more than 86% and 70% of dietary intakes in goats and sheep, respectively.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of feeding sesame hulls (SH) on growth performance and carcass characteristics of Awassi lambs. Twenty-one Awassi lambs (age of 70 ± 4.53 days and initial body weight 18.6 ± 0.53 kg) were randomly allocated to 3 diets. Diet 1 served as a control and contained no SH (CON); diet 2 (low sesame hulls; LSH) and 3 (high sesame hulls; HSH) consisted of 12.5% and 25% SH, respectively. Lambs were housed in individual pens and consumed isonitrogenous diets ad libitum. At the end of the study all lambs were slaughtered to evaluate their carcass and meat characteristics. Lambs fed SH had higher (P < 0.05) intakes of DM and OM than the CON diet. Intakes of NDF and EE were greater (P < 0.05) for the HSH diet than for the CON and LSH diets. Average daily gain and ADG:DMI were comparable among all diets. Cost of gain was lower (P < 0.05) for the SH diet than for the CON diet. Digestibility of DM, OM and CP was similar among all diets. However, digestibility of NDF tended to be greater (P = 0.09) for the HSH than the CON and the LSH diets. Digestibility of EE was greater (P < 0.05) for the HSH diet than the CON diet while the LSH diet was not different from the other 2 diets. Longissimus muscle weight was greater (P < 0.05) for the LSH diet than for the CON diet while the HSH diet was not different from the other 2 diets. Rib fat depth tended to be greater (P < 0.10) for the LSH when compared to the CON diet, whereas rib fat depth was not different from the other 2 diets. Musculus longissimus area was greater (P < 0.05) in lambs fed the LSH diet than the CON diet. Whiteness (L*) of longissimus muscle was greater (P < 0.05) for lambs fed LSH than CON. In conclusion, using the sesame hulls could be beneficial because it decreased the cost of gain with no negative effects on performance or carcass characteristics. Therefore, sesame hulls could be considered as an alternative inexpensive feedstuff for fattening lambs.

Large areas of the Negev desert are used for rain-fed winter cereal production. Consequently, cereal straw is an important dietary component of sheep and goats raised by the Bedouin in the Negev Desert under both grazing and pen-fed conditions. Often, it is the sole feed offered, although it is relatively low in crude protein content and metabolizable energy yield. We determined metabolizable energy intake and heat production in desert adapted fat-tailed Awassi sheep (n = 8; 49.5 ± 6.6 kg) and mixed breed goats (n = 8; 42.6 ± 11.7 kg) when offered only wheat straw ad libitum, and calculated their energy and nitrogen balances. We hypothesized that there is a difference between sheep and goats in the ability to use wheat straw and predicted that goats would be better able to use wheat straw as an energy and nitrogen source than would sheep. Dry matter intakes of the wheat straw by sheep and goats were similar, 43.4 and 42.6 g kg− 0.75 d− 1, respectively, as were apparent dry matter digestibilities, 44.1% and 43.6%, respectively. Metabolizable energy intakes in sheep and goats were also similar, 308.9 and 302.9 kJ kg − 0.75 d− 1, respectively, as were their heat productions, 502.3 and 501.0 kJ kg − 0.75 d− 1, respectively. Sheep and goats were in negative energy balance, and both lost similar amounts of body reserves, 193.6 and 198.1 kJ kg − 0.75 d− 1, respectively. Also, both were in negative nitrogen balances; however, the goats were in a lesser deficit (P

Twenty-three male Awassi lambs (initial body weight; BW =1 8.5± 1.72 kg) were individually housed to study effects of using yellow grease (restaurant fat) on lamb performance, nutrient digestibilities and carcass characteristics, and to compare such effects with soybean oil (SO). Lambs were randomly assigned to one of three dietary treatments: no added fat (control; CTL, n = 7), 32 g/kg of yellow grease (YG, n = 8), or 32 g/kg of SO (SO, n =8 ) in barley grain-based diets. All diets were formulated to be isonitrogenous, iso-energetic, and to meet all nutrient requirements for finishing lambs. Dietary treatments did not affect intake and digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber, or N retention. However, intake and digestibility of ether extract were higher (P

Thirty Awassi ewes with an initial body weight (BW) of 52.0 kg (SD = 8.4) nursing single lambs with an initial BW of 6.2 kg (SD = 1.0) were utilized to study yellow grease, by partially replacing barley, as an alternative energy source. The ewes aged 3–7 years and parity ranged from 2 to 6. All ewes gave birth 6–8 days before starting the experiment. Ewes with their lambs were individually housed in shaded pens (1.5 m × 0.75 m). Ewes and their lambs were randomly assigned to one of three dietary treatments (10 ewes with their lambs per treatment): no added fat (control), 32 g/kg added fat as yellow grease (restaurant fat; YG), or as soybean oil (SO) by partially replacing barley in the control diet. All diets were formulated to be isonitrogenous, isocaloric, and to meet all nutrient requirements for nursing ewes. For ewes, dry matter intake (DMI; P=0.67), milk yield (P=0.42), BW change (P=0.27), milk composition (P>0.20), and milk composition yields (P>0.30) were not affected by dietary treatments. Average daily gain (ADG) of lambs was not affected (P=0.6) by dietary treatments. However, the cost of feeding 10 ewes for 55 days was US $612, 544, and 601 for the control, YG, and SO group, respectively. Additionally, the cost of producing 1 kg of milk was US $1.84, 1.37, and 1.52 for the control, YG, and SO group, respectively. Under conditions similar to our study, it is economically feasible to partially (206 g/kg) replace barley with YG without adversely affecting the performance of nursing Awassi ewes or their suckling lambs.

The influence of breed on fattening performance, slaughter and meat quality traits was studied in Awassi and Morkaraman male lambs at approximately 8 months of age. All of the groups were fed a diet consisting of concentrate mixture offered ad libitum, and 300 g of grass hay per lamb per day during 60-day fattening period. Initial live weight, final live weight, daily weight gain and feed conversion efficiency (concentrate and hay consumption for 1 kg of live weight gain) were 39.63 kg, 55.08 kg, 0.258 kg and 6.37 for Awassi; 40.54 kg, 55.58 kg, 0.234 kg and 6.77 for Morkaraman, respectively. The effect of breed on fattening performance and slaughter traits except for LD area was not significant. In addition, meat colour parameters (L⁎ = lightness, a⁎ = redness, b⁎ = yellowness, H = hue angle and C = chroma), pH values, drip loss and sensory attributes were not affected by breed in present study. A significant muscle effect was observed for instrumental measurements of some meat quality characteristics as meat colour parameters (L⁎, a⁎ and C), collagen, drip loss, pH, moisture and protein content, WBS, and for some sensory attributes (tenderness, juiciness, acceptability and number of chewing). Results of this study indicate that fattening performance, slaughter and meat quality traits were similar between Awassi and Morkaraman male lambs.

Nutrient intake, diet digestibility, N balance, carcass characteristics, and meat quality were evaluated in Awassi lambs fed different levels of sesame meal (SM). Twenty-seven Awassi lambs of similar weight (BW = 18.8 ± 0.74 kg) and age (65 ± 1.09 days) were equally divided into three treatments and fed individually high concentrate diets for 60 days. Group one served as a control and did not receive SM (SM0). Group two (SM8) and three (SM16) received 8 and 16% SM, respectively. Intakes of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), and crude protein (CP) were highest (P < 0.05) for the lambs fed the SM8 followed by the SM0 and SM16 diets, respectively. Whereas, intake of ether extracts (EE) was greater for SM16 followed by the SM8 and SM0. Intake of metabolizable energy (ME) was greater (P < 0.05) for SM8 than SM0 and SM16 treatments. Final weight and average daily gain (ADG) were greater (P < 0.05) for SM8 than for both the SM0 and SM16 diets. All groups had similar feed conversion ratio; nevertheless production cost was lower (P < 0.05) for SM8 and SM16 compared to SM0 diet. Digestibility of DM, OM, CP, and EE and N retention were similar among all treatment diets. Fasting live weight was greater (P < 0.05) for lambs fed SM8 diet than for lambs fed SM0 and SM16 diets. Dressing percentage was greater (P < 0.05) for SM0 diet when compared to SM8 and SM16 diets. Lungs and trachea weights were higher (P < 0.05) in lambs fed SM8 diet than SM0 and SM16 diets. Loin weight was greater (P < 0.05) in lambs fed SM8 diet compared to SM0 and SM16 diets. Lambs receiving the SM8 and SM16 diets had greater (P < 0.05) total percentage in loin than the SM0 diet. No differences were observed in carcass and longissimus muscle linear dimensions, fat measurements, and meat quality characteristics among the treatment diets. It is concluded that sesame meal could replace 8% of soybean meal in the diet without any detrimental effect on lamb growth and meat quality, thus reduces feeding cost.

A performance evaluation, conducted between 2003 and 2005, compared the milk production of three genotypes of Awassi ewes: Turkish (T), Syrian (S) and the F1-cross between the Turkish and Syrian ewes (TS), at the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) experimental farm in Tel Hadya (northern Syria). After weaning, which occurred at 56days, milk yield and milking length were measured weekly during the milking period ( n = 381). Milk yield of TS and T ewes were 12% and 30% higher, respectively, than S ewes. Milk yield and milking length of TS ewes reflected additive inheritance and did not differ from the parental genotypes' average ( p ≥ 0.199). Culling of low producing ewes in 2003 and 2004 also resulted in increased milk yield. Dams of all genotypes displayed similar weights at birth ( p = 0.898) and weaning ( p ≥ 0.677). The latter suggests dams of the different genotypes olerated equally the pre-weaning lactation load. Performance tended to improve as ewes aged, with milk yield and milking length peaking at 3years of age ( p > 0.05). Ewe lambing weight, birth–weaning ewe weight decline, litter size, and litter weight weaned peaked at 4–5years of age ( p ≤ 0.016). With the exception of birth–weaning ewe weight decline, year effects influenced the traits under study ( p ≤ 0.035). Excluding litter size, the best performance was in 2005, followed by 2003 and 2004. Milk yield increased with litter size at weaning ( b = 18.7; p = 0.024). The lambing–weaning ewe weight decline (3.6kg) and ewe productivity (0.46kg litter weaned weight per kg ewe weight) did not differ between genotypes ( p ≥ 0.178). Average litter size was 1.15, with the TS ewes displaying the largest litter size (1.23; p = 0.026). Single lambs were 25% heavier than twins at birth averaging 4.73kg and 3.8kg, respectively. Male lambs were 4% heavier than female lambs at birth ( p p p ≥ 0.210). The average proportion of fat (5.95%), crude protein (5.19%) and solids non-fat (11.29%) in the milk varied across genotypes where S p ≤ 0.0037). F1 crosses with T increased the productivity of S ewes by 12.2%. It is noteworthy that this occurred under improved feeding and may not be recommended for other conditions. Culling low producing ewes led to a 12.8% increase in milk yield, which could translate into a substantial boost in revenue for farmers rearing traditional sheep flocks in milk producing areas.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of wheat straw level on growth performance and carcass parameter of lambs fed high concentrate diets. Thirty-six Awassi lambs (17.9 ± 1 kg) were randomly assigned to four experimental high concentrate diets with various wheat straw levels in a completely randomized design for 58 days. The experimental diets were isonitrogenous (16% CP) and contained 0, 5, 10 and 15% wheat straw. Results gained indicated that intake of dry matter; crude protein and metabolizable energy of the high wheat straw diets (10 and 15%) were similar ( P > 0.05) and significantly higher ( P P P