1- Department of Animal Science, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili
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Extended Abstract
Introduction and Objective: The majority of the income of sheep breeders is obtained through the sale of lambs, therefore, by increasing lambing efficiency and raising suckling lambs properly, the economic efficiency of animal husbandry can be increased. Raising young ruminants requires feeding colostrum, milk or its substitute in liquid form and then consuming solid feed. Suckling ruminants are dependent on liquid feed, with the development of the rumen, the fermentation process gradually begins and the dependence on liquid feed consumption decreases and solid feed feeding increases. Suckling lambs require a high level of starch to meet their energy needs. Therefore, the use of additives derived from carbohydrate compounds can be helpful in this regard. Plant extracts and essential oils have effective active ingredients and have the ability to affect the digestibility and absorption of nutrients in the intestines of livestock and poultry. One of the plant additives is malt extract. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of using different levels of malt extract in starter feed on growth performance indices, blood parameters and nutrient digestibility of suckling Moghani lambs.
Materials and Methods: The present experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with 4 treatments in 6 replications and a total of 24 suckling Moghani lambs. The lambs were fed a diet without malt extract (control), 1% malt extract, 2% malt extract and 3% malt extract in starter feed for 75 days. The growth performance traits studied, such as the amount of feed consumed by each lamb, were recorded daily, considering the feeding of the lambs individually. For this purpose, the amount of feed poured into the bucket of each lamb was recorded daily and the remaining feed was collected and weighed each day the next morning and then fresh feed was poured into the feed bucket. The body weight gain of the lambs was measured every two weeks and individually with a digital scale with an accuracy of 200 grams. Also, the feed conversion ratio was obtained by dividing the feed consumed by each lamb in each period by its weight gain. At the end of the period, blood was taken at noon about 3-4 hours after grazing from the jugular vein and the samples were evaluated for glucose, total protein, urea nitrogen, albumin, cholesterol, triglycerides and beta-hydroxybutyrate. Digestibility was determined by collecting fecal samples with special cloth bags that were tied to the animal's collar, and the apparent digestibility values for each nutrient were calculated and determined according to the Vankeulan and Young equation (Vankeulan & Young 1977). For this purpose, all fecal samples were analyzed, like feed samples, to determine chemical compositions. The collected data were statistically analyzed using SAS statistical software (SAS, 2023) and GLM procedure in a completely randomized design.
Findings: The results showed that there was no significant difference between the treatments in initial weight and body weight in different periods (p<0.05). However, numerically, the highest body weight of lambs was observed on days 14, 28 and 56 in the 2% malt extract treatment. Consumption of 3% malt extract in the diet of suckling lambs caused the highest body weight on days 42 and 72, although the difference was not significant. Daily weight gain was also not affected by the experimental diets in different growth periods (p<0.05). According to the results, the different experimental treatments did not have a significant effect on feed consumption and body weight in different experimental periods. The daily weight gain in the first month and the entire period in lambs fed 3% malt extract was significantly higher than in the control group (p<0.05). Feeding 1% malt extract in the starter diet of suckling lambs significantly reduced blood cholesterol concentration compared to other experimental treatments (p<0.05), but the concentration of other blood parameters (glucose, albumin, triglycerides and total protein) was not affected by the consumption of different levels of malt extract. Blood urea nitrogen concentration was linearly affected by the experimental treatments (p<0.05). So that the highest blood urea nitrogen concentration was observed in lambs fed 2% barley malt extract. The linear effect of malt extract feeding in fattening lambs on blood beta-hydroxybutyrate concentration was significant, so that with increasing malt extract level in starter feed, blood beta-hydroxybutyrate concentration also increased (p<0.05). Nutrient digestibility (dry matter, organic matter, neutral detergent insoluble fiber, crude protein, crude fat and crude ash) was not affected by different experimental treatments. However, numerically, the digestibility of dry matter, organic matter and neutral detergent insoluble fiber of lambs fed with different levels of barley malt extract was higher than that of the control group, and finally, the highest percentage of digestibility of crude protein, crude fat and crude ash was observed in the group fed with 1% barley malt extract.
Conclusion: In general, supplementing the diet of suckling lambs with malt extract increased blood beta-hydroxybutyrate concentration and growth performance, so feeding it up to 3% is recommended.
Introduction and Objective: The majority of the income of sheep breeders is obtained through the sale of lambs, therefore, by increasing lambing efficiency and raising suckling lambs properly, the economic efficiency of animal husbandry can be increased. Raising young ruminants requires feeding colostrum, milk or its substitute in liquid form and then consuming solid feed. Suckling ruminants are dependent on liquid feed, with the development of the rumen, the fermentation process gradually begins and the dependence on liquid feed consumption decreases and solid feed feeding increases. Suckling lambs require a high level of starch to meet their energy needs. Therefore, the use of additives derived from carbohydrate compounds can be helpful in this regard. Plant extracts and essential oils have effective active ingredients and have the ability to affect the digestibility and absorption of nutrients in the intestines of livestock and poultry. One of the plant additives is malt extract. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of using different levels of malt extract in starter feed on growth performance indices, blood parameters and nutrient digestibility of suckling Moghani lambs.
Materials and Methods: The present experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with 4 treatments in 6 replications and a total of 24 suckling Moghani lambs. The lambs were fed a diet without malt extract (control), 1% malt extract, 2% malt extract and 3% malt extract in starter feed for 75 days. The growth performance traits studied, such as the amount of feed consumed by each lamb, were recorded daily, considering the feeding of the lambs individually. For this purpose, the amount of feed poured into the bucket of each lamb was recorded daily and the remaining feed was collected and weighed each day the next morning and then fresh feed was poured into the feed bucket. The body weight gain of the lambs was measured every two weeks and individually with a digital scale with an accuracy of 200 grams. Also, the feed conversion ratio was obtained by dividing the feed consumed by each lamb in each period by its weight gain. At the end of the period, blood was taken at noon about 3-4 hours after grazing from the jugular vein and the samples were evaluated for glucose, total protein, urea nitrogen, albumin, cholesterol, triglycerides and beta-hydroxybutyrate. Digestibility was determined by collecting fecal samples with special cloth bags that were tied to the animal's collar, and the apparent digestibility values for each nutrient were calculated and determined according to the Vankeulan and Young equation (Vankeulan & Young 1977). For this purpose, all fecal samples were analyzed, like feed samples, to determine chemical compositions. The collected data were statistically analyzed using SAS statistical software (SAS, 2023) and GLM procedure in a completely randomized design.
Findings: The results showed that there was no significant difference between the treatments in initial weight and body weight in different periods (p<0.05). However, numerically, the highest body weight of lambs was observed on days 14, 28 and 56 in the 2% malt extract treatment. Consumption of 3% malt extract in the diet of suckling lambs caused the highest body weight on days 42 and 72, although the difference was not significant. Daily weight gain was also not affected by the experimental diets in different growth periods (p<0.05). According to the results, the different experimental treatments did not have a significant effect on feed consumption and body weight in different experimental periods. The daily weight gain in the first month and the entire period in lambs fed 3% malt extract was significantly higher than in the control group (p<0.05). Feeding 1% malt extract in the starter diet of suckling lambs significantly reduced blood cholesterol concentration compared to other experimental treatments (p<0.05), but the concentration of other blood parameters (glucose, albumin, triglycerides and total protein) was not affected by the consumption of different levels of malt extract. Blood urea nitrogen concentration was linearly affected by the experimental treatments (p<0.05). So that the highest blood urea nitrogen concentration was observed in lambs fed 2% barley malt extract. The linear effect of malt extract feeding in fattening lambs on blood beta-hydroxybutyrate concentration was significant, so that with increasing malt extract level in starter feed, blood beta-hydroxybutyrate concentration also increased (p<0.05). Nutrient digestibility (dry matter, organic matter, neutral detergent insoluble fiber, crude protein, crude fat and crude ash) was not affected by different experimental treatments. However, numerically, the digestibility of dry matter, organic matter and neutral detergent insoluble fiber of lambs fed with different levels of barley malt extract was higher than that of the control group, and finally, the highest percentage of digestibility of crude protein, crude fat and crude ash was observed in the group fed with 1% barley malt extract.
Conclusion: In general, supplementing the diet of suckling lambs with malt extract increased blood beta-hydroxybutyrate concentration and growth performance, so feeding it up to 3% is recommended.
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