Effects of agricultural byproducts in ration on productive and reproductive performance of Saidi rams

• Published in: Acta veterinaria Brno Vol. 75; no. 2; pp. 227 - 234
• Main Authors: Megahed, G.A.(Assiut Univ. (Egypt). Dept. of Theriogenology) E-mail:gabermegahed@yahoo.com, Etman, A.H.M.(Al-Azhar Univ., Cairo (Egypt). Dept. of Animal Production)
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.06.2006
• Subjects: ALIMENT POUR ANIMAUX; ALIMENTACION DE LOS ANIMALES; ALIMENTATION DES ANIMAUX; ANIMAL FEEDING; AZUCAR EN SANGRE; BAGASSE; BAGAZO; BELIER; BLOOD SUGAR; BODY MEASUREMENTS; BODY WEIGHT; CHOLESTEROL; COLESTEROL; CRECIMIENTO; CROISSANCE; DIMENSION; DIMENSIONS; ENGORDE; ENGRAISSEMENT; ESCROTO; ESPERMATOZOO; FATTENING; FEEDS; FERTILIDAD; FERTILITE; FERTILITY; GAIN DE POIDS; GANANCIA DE PESO; GLUCOSA; GLUCOSE; GROWTH; MAIS; MAIZ; MAIZE; MEDICION DEL CUERPO; MENSURATION CORPORELLE; MORUECO; PAILLE; PAJA; PERFORMANCE DE REPRODUCTION; PESO CORPORAL; PIENSOS; POIDS CORPOREL; RAMS; REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE; REPRODUCTIVIDAD; SCROTUM; SEMEN; SOUS PRODUIT DE SUCRERIE; SPERMATOZOA; SPERMATOZOIDE; SPERME; STRAW; SUBPRODUCTOS DEL AZUCAR; SUCRE DU SANG; SUGAR BYPRODUCTS; TESTES; TESTICULE; TESTICULOS; TESTOSTERONAS; TESTOSTERONE; VOLUME; VOLUMEN; WEIGHT GAIN
• ISSN: 0001-7213; 1801-7576
• DOI: 10.2754/avb200675020227

Forty Said rams were divided into 4 groups and fed as follows: control animals - a concentrate feed mixture (CFM, 500 g/head/day) plus wheat straw ad libitum, experimental rams - CFM plus corn cobs or sugar cane tops or sugar cane bagasse. Serum testosterone, glucose and total cholesterol levels were determined and semen evaluations were carried out every 15 days. Testicular size, scrotal circumference and body weight were recorded each month. At the end of the experiment, 12 rams were allowed to mount 114 healthy ewes to evaluate pregnancy rates. Body weight, daily weight gain, testicular size and scrotal circumference increased significantly in the treated groups. An increase was also observed in testosterone level, semen volume, as well as motility and percentages of live spermatozoa. Experimental rams yielded higher pregnancy rates (83.33%, 86.67% and 81.48%, respectively) than controls (74.07%). The agricultural byproducts used had a beneficial effect on weight gains and reproductive performance of Saidi rams.