Effect of Mentha spicata (Spearmint) and Anethum graveolens (Dill) essence on performance, growth skeletal indices and blood metabolites of Kordi fattening lambs

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of adding spearmint and dill essence on performance, growth and blood metabolites of Kordi fattening lambs. In this experiment, 30 male lambs were used in a completely randomized design over a 9-weak trial with three treatments and 10 replicants. Treatments were included: 1) control without essence, 2) containing 0.025% Mentha spicata (spearmint) essence and 3) containing 0.025% Anethum graveolens (Dill) essence. Blood samples at 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 and rumen fluid at 3, 5 and 7 weak of study were collected from five lamb of each treatment and skeletal growth indices including wither height, rump height, chest girth, body lenght and hip to hip lenght were measured also. The result showed that among skeletal growth indices only wither height between dill and spaermint treatment ( 60.80 and 62.4 cm, respectively) and chest girth among control, dill and spaermint treatments (76, 72.8 and 74.2 cm, respectively) had significant difference. Blood cholestrol singnificantly decreased in dill and spaermint treatment compared to control (51, 51.66 and 58 mg/dl, respectively). Treatments had no significant effect on other blood metabolites and performance growth. Generally, results of this study showed that adding of spearmint and dill essence did not have considerable effect on porformance and growth of fattening lambs.