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An experiment was conducted to evaluate the silage made of lemon pulp with four levels (0, 10, 20 and 30 per cent) of waste date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) on nutrient digestibility, microbial protein synthesis, and ruminal and blood parameters in Kermani sheep. Four rams (BW 54.2±2.87 kg) were used in a 4 x4 change over design experiment with each period consisted of 21 d (16d for adaptation and 5 d for sampling). Fresh lemon pulp and different levels of waste dates (WD) were mixed together and ensiled in 100 L container for 45 d, and the silage was then fed at 20 per cent to rams. Dry matter intake, nutrients digestibility, N retention, urinary allantoin excretion, uric acid, and total purine derivatives were not affected (P>0.05) by experimental treatments. However, microbial nitrogen was significantly increased in lambs fed 30% WD. Total protozoa population (P < 0.01) and Holotrich spp. (P < 0.05) in rumen fluid were increased linearly by increasing the level of WD. The blood creatinine level was significantly higher than control in rams fed silage with the waste date (P

The objective of this research was to investigate the effects of adding fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) seed powder (FSP) to the diet on dry matter intake (DMI), live weight gain and carcass characteristics in fattening male lambs. Thirty lambs (27.5 ± 0.45 kg body weight (BW) at eight months of age) were allotted to three experimental diets in a completely randomized design. Experimental diets were 1) control diet (no FSP); 2) diet containing 0.75% FSP and 3) diet containing 1.5% FSP. The ratio of forage to concentrate in diets was 40:60 (dry matter basis). The lambs were allocated to three groups with equal animals and fed the diets for 80-days. At the end of the experiment, all animals were slaughtered on the same day. The day before slaughter blood samples were taken 3 h after morning feeding. Lambs fed the 1.5% FSP diet had greater (P

We report the genome sequence of Sporanaerobacter acetigenes strain F-12, isolated from the rumen of a steer grazing on Rhodes grass in Townsville (Lansdown Research Station), Queensland, Australia. This draft genome consists of 2,866,191 bp, with 31.23% G+C content and 2,889 predicted coding sequences.

Summary The objective of this experiment was to investigate the effects on performance, weaning age and rumen fermentation characteristics in Holstein calves when fennel powder was added to their starter diets. Thirty Holstein calves with a mean birth weight 40 kg (SD = 0.5) were allocated randomly to one of the following experimental diets: (i) control (starter diet without fennel powder), (ii) starter diet containing 0.4% of fennel powder and (iii) starter diet containing 0.8% of fennel powder (DM basis). The effect of treatments on mean dry matter intake was significant (p

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of feeding ensiled alfalfa with waste date on ruminal fermentation characteristics, microbial protein synthesis, protozoa population and blood parameters in sheep. Eight rams were used in a 2 × 2 change over design. Each experimental period consisted of 21 days including 16 days for adaptation and 5 days for sampling. For ensiling, fresh alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) with different levels of waste date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) were mixed together and ensiled in 100-l containers for 45 days. Chemical composition of silages such as dry matter (DM), crude protein, NH3 -N, organic matter, NDF, ADF and pH were determined. Then, it was used as 30% (DM basis) in diets. The experimental diets were as follows: (i) control (diet containing alfalfa silage without waste date), (ii) diet containing alfalfa silage with 5 g waste date/95 g DM, (iii) diet containing alfalfa silage with 10 g waste date/90 g DM, and (iv) diet containing alfalfa silage with 15 g waste date/85 g DM. The results of this experiment showed that adding waste date to alfalfa during ensiling, improved silage quality, DM and energy level. Total protozoa population and all of holotrich, cellulolytic and entodinia in rumen fluid were increased linearly by increasing the level of waste date. Nitrogen (N) intake, urinary N excretion and nitrogen retention were affected by dietary treatments. Also, allantoin, uric acid, total purine derivatives, microbial protein synthesis, cholesterol level and blood urea nitrogen were significantly different. In conclusion, direct ensilage of alfalfa can be attained by mixing 15 g waste date/85 g DM and positive associative effects such as increased metabolizable energy (ME) and silage quality occurred.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of increasing levels of wasted date (WD) in sheep (initial body weight 50 ± 2.3 kg) diets on apparent diet digestibility, rumen fermentation and microbial protein synthesis. The experimental diets contained 0 (0 WD), 9% (9 WD), 18% (18 WD) or 27% (27 WD) of wasted dates. These diets were evaluated through a 4 × 4 Latin square design with four 28-day periods. Sheep were individually housed in metabolic cages and were fed diets ad libitum. To keep the diets isoenergetic and isonitrogenous, increasing partial replacement of WD for barley grain was used with increasing levels of soya bean meal. Increasing the amount of WD in diets of sheep did not influence (p > 0.05) diet intake and digestibility of nutrients. Inclusion of WD in diets of sheep did not affect (p > 0.05) ruminal pH but decreased (p 0.05) of the WD provision on N intake and faecal N loss of experimental animals, but urinary nitrogen excretion and retained nitrogen were affected (p

Four ruminally cannulated mature Kermani sheep (50 ± 2.3 kg and 40 ± 2.1 months old) were used in a 4 × 4 Latin square design to determine the effects of diets with different levels of date pulp (DP) on ruminal fermentation, nutrient digestibility and microbial protein synthesis. DP was replaced for wheat bran in diets at no DP (0 DP), 7 (7 DP), 14 (14 DP) and 21% (21 DP) of diet dry matter (DM) and were fed twice daily (0800 hours and 1800 hours). In this study, increasing the amount of DP in diets of sheep did not affect DM intake and apparent digestibility of nutrient (P > 0.05). Inclusion of DP in diets increased ruminal pH linearly (P < 0.05), but did not influence total volatile fatty acids and molar proportion of individual volatile fatty acids (P > 0.05). Ruminal ammonia nitrogen concentration (6.04 vs 10.13 mmol/L), and blood urea nitrogen (8.59 vs 13.10 mg/dL) were affected by diets (P < 0.05). Moreover, urinary nitrogen excretion was higher (P < 0.05) for Control diet (no DP) than the 21 DP diet. In this study, urinary excretion of purine derivatives and microbial protein synthesis were affected by experimental diets (P < 0.05). In conclusion, this study showed that DP at 14% can be used as an alternative feed resource in sheep nutrition especially in semiarid areas.