fattening lamb

Every day, large amounts of rumen contents are produced as waste in slaughterhouses and are left unused in the environment, which causes environmental problems. Compared to other processing methods, bioconversion is a new and desirable method for managing agricultural waste and residues. As a rich source of enzymes, ruminal liquid can be used in the bioconversion of agricultural wastes. About 35% of all potatoes are thrown away as waste during different stages. Potato waste is a suitable raw material that can be used as a valuable protein by-product during the simple fermentation process by using rumen liquid obtained from slaughterhouse waste and adding various non-protein nitrogen (NPN) sources. For this purpose, the effect of using processed potato waste with rumen contents was evaluated in the diet of fattening lambs.

The slow-release NPN source used in this experiment, with the brand name Nitrosa, contained a 40% nitrogen equivalent to 250% of crude protein. The best level of NPN for processing potato waste using the potential of rumen liquid microorganisms based on the results of the crude protein content of the solid part produced during incubation for use in the farm sector was determined at 3 g of nitrogen from a Nitrosa source. A constant ratio of rumen liquid to waste potatoes (2:1) was chosen for the ratio of 400 ml of rumen liquid + 200 g of damaged potatoes. The solid part of the fermented product of the semi-industrial production of potato waste processing with rumen liquid and urea was included in the diet of 24 heads of 5-month-old Romanov-Moghani crossbreed lambs with four diets and six replications (lambs) at three replacement levels of 2.5, 5, and 7.5%of the basic diet of the 78-day fattening period of the lambs. The average weight of the lambs in the groups was 31.1 kg at the beginning of the period. The experimental groups were 1) basic diet (without processed potato waste), 2) basic diet with 2.5% processed potato waste (the dried solid phase), 3) basic diet with 5% processed potato waste (the dried solid phase), and 4) basic diet with 7.5% processed potato waste (the dried solid phase). To determine the concentration of blood metabolites in all lambs, blood was drawn from the jugular vein 3 hours after consuming feed on the 60th day of the fattening period. Then, the blood parameters, including glucose, blood urea nitrogen, cholesterol, triglyceride, total protein, albumin, high-density lipoprotein, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and BHBA, were determined with Pars Azmoun kits using a spectrophotometer. Total antioxidant capacity, glutathione peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase were measured using RANDOX kits. The concentration of malondialdehyde was measured using the reaction of thiobarbituric acid with malondialdehyde, with the Ransod RANDOX kit by an autoanalyzer.To measure the carcass characteristics, the lambs were weighed at the end of the fattening period. The measured traits included hot and cold carcass weights, tail weight, heart, liver, kidney, and lung of the slaughtered lambs. Carcass yield was calculated by dividing the carcass weight by the final live weight. All the carcasses were separated from the area between the last back vertebra and the first tail vertebra between the slip joint, and the carcass without the tail was weighed by a digital scale to obtain the carcass weight without the tail. The tails of all the carcasses were separated from the part between the last vertebra of the back and the first vertebra of the tail between the slip joint and weighed with a digital scale. The tail percentage was calculated by dividing the tail weight by the carcass weight.

There was no significant difference between the groups in the dry matter intake, FCR, daily weight gain, and final weight of lambs during the fattening period. The average daily weight gain levels of the lambs of the 5% level were 228.6, 218.0, and 231.0 g for the second, third, and whole periods, respectively. The results showed that the lambs of this level gained the lightest body weight with a final weight of 49.18 kg. The lambs of the 2.5% level showed the highest amount in line with the data of the FCR in the whole period with an average daily weight gain of 241.6 g. Therefore, the final weight of Moghani lambs of this level at the time of slaughter was 49.99 kg, that is, the heaviest lambs for this group. The results of blood analysis showed no significant differences between the experimental groups, and blood factors were not influenced by different substitution levels of the experimental substance. The antioxidant activity index and the concentration of malondialdehyde in the blood serum of lambs were not affected by the diets. From the results and data analysis, no significant differences were observed in the weight factors of the hot carcass, heart, liver, kidney, lung, back fat thickness, tail, and finally cold carcass.

The results show that it is possible to improve the nutritional value of potato waste by using rumen contents to process potato waste while supplementing it with urea and use the produced experimental material in feeding ruminants. In this research, the semi-industrial production of the experimental material of potato waste processed with rumen contents and its replacement at three levels of 2.5, 5, and 7.5% in the diet of fattening lambs showed no significant differences between the groups in dry matter consumption, FCR, daily weight gain, and final weight. Moreover, no significant differences were observed between the experimental groups in carcass characteristics and meat yield. The experimental material of potato waste processed with rumen contents, without significant differences and yield reduction, could meet the requirements of fattening lambs.

In recent years, the increasing demand for feed to increase livestock production and the climate problems have led to a significant increase in the price of feed, especially protein-based feed. The proper processing and use of alternative and cheap by-products therefore increases livestock production and contributes to the country's livestock feed shortage. Peanut waste is one of such by-products. Peanut, with the scientific name of Arachis hypogaea, belongs to the Legume family, which is also called groundnut or pistachio. Peanuts are classified as an oil seed because of their high oil content and are grown in much of the world and are rich in protein and fiber. The crude protein (CP) digestibility of peanuts is reported to be about 70%, but its fat digestibility varies based on the fatty acid structure. Peanuts contain anti-nutritional factors such as phenolic compounds (procyanidins) and phytic acid, which reduce the bioavailability of other nutrients, but this amount is lower in peanuts than in legumes such as soybeans. After oil extraction, peanut meal is produced, which is used as a source of protein in animal feed. By-products of peanut cultivation include almond husk, almond outer shell, thin skin on almond kernel, and peanut waste feed (PWF). Peanut shells are produced in large quantities annually and are discarded without any specific use or economic value. About 34 -35 grams of shells are produced per kg of peanut kernel. The annual production of peanut shells in the world is about 740 thousand tons as waste from the peanut processing industry. In a study, the CP, neutral detergent insoluble fiber (NDF), crude fat, total digestible nutrients, and condensed tannins of peanut shells were reported to be 22.7, 32.6, 19, 87.8, and 15.6% dry matter (DM), respectively. Phenolic compounds in peanut shells, such as tannins, may have positive effects on animal performance. In another study, the CP, crude fat, and total carbohydrate contents of peanut kernel shells were determined to be 12, 16, and 72% (DM basis), respectively, and the total phenolic content was determined to be 140-150 mg/g DM. In a study, supplementing goat diets with 25 and 50% peanut shells on a DM basis increased DM intake and daily weight gain, while also reducing fecal microbial load. In Iran's northern provinces, a significant area of land is devoted to peanut production. Peanuts are mostly consumed as nuts in Iran, so unfortunately, accurate amounts of peanut waste production are not available. The PWF is a new food waste produced in Iran and consists of the almond shell (hard shell), kernel waste, and the thin brown shell around the kernel. So far, few studies have been conducted to investigate the effects of feeding diets containing PWF on ruminant nutrition. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of different levels of PWF on performance, apparent nutrient digestibility, rumen antioxidant activity, and nutritional behavior of Lori-Bakhtiari fattening lambs.
In this research, 28 fattening lambs with an average age of 120±6 days and an average live weight of 30±2.50 kg were used in a completely randomized design with four treatments and seven replications. The experimental diets were PWF included in the diet at levels 0 (control), 4, 8, and 12% DM and were fed to lambs for 60 days. Diet nutrient digestibility was measured using acid-insoluble ash as an internal marker on the 43rd day of the experiment. Determination of the total rumen antioxidant capacity was performed on the 45th day of the experiment and 3 hours after morning feeding. The feeding behavior of fattening lambs was determined visually on the 47th day of the experiment for 24 hours.
The contents of DM, crude protein, crude ash, crude fat, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, non-fibrous carbohydrates, and total phenolic compounds of PWF were 92±2.22, 22.8±0.46, 16.5±0.26, 1.28±0.016, 25.7±0.53, 19.1±0.33, 34±0.57, and 21.5±0.35% DM, respectively, and metabolizable energy content was 2.4±0.075 Mcal/kg DM. Using different levels of PWF in the diet had no significant effect on nutrient intake, growth performance parameters, nutrient digestibility, and eating and rumination behavior (minutes per day) of fattening lambs (P>0.05). By increasing the level of PWF in the diet up to 12%, the total antioxidant capacity of the rumen increased, but the chewing behavior (minutes per day) in fattening lambs decreased compared to the control treatment (P<0.05).
The results generally indicated that the use of peanut waste up to 12% DM is recommended in the diet of fattening lambs.

 Animals need vitamins A, D3, and E to improve their performance and health. Vitamin A has an active role in maintaining all epithelial cells in the body and plays an important role in bone growth. Vitamin D3 plays an important role in increasing the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, in addition to the formation and calcification of the bones in animals. Vitamin E is a fat soluble vitamin which is both a growth-promoting vitamin and is considered an antioxidant. These vitamins also play an important role in improving the immune system in ruminants. Ruminants cannot produce vitamins A, D3, and E in their body; therefore, to meet physiological requirements and maintain high production performance, they need to be provided with an exogenous regular intake of vitamins A, D3, and E in their diet. Several studies have been carried out on the effects of dietary or injectable vitamin AD3E supplements on fattening lambs. This study aimed to determine the effects of various forms of AD3E supplementation on growth performance, rumen fermentation, protozoa population, and blood parameters in Mehraban lambs by in vivo and in vitro experiments.

 The project comprised two in vitro and in vivo experiments. In this experiment, the in vivo growth parameters such as final body weight, total weight gain, average daily gain, average daily gain, dry matter intake, feed conversion ratio, the ruminal fermentation parameters such as pH, ammonia nitrogen, total volatile fatty acids, blood biochemical metabolites [blood urea nitrogen (BUN), cholesterol, triglyceride, glucose, albumin, HDL, LDL, and malondialdehyde (MAD)], protozoa count, and in vitro gas production, organic matter digestibility, methane gas production, metabolizable energy, and short-chain fatty acids were studied. This experiment consisted of a 14-day adaptation period and a 60-day experiment. Twenty Mehraban lambs (body weight of 41.3±0.5 kg) were divided into four groups with five replicates in each group using a completely randomized design. The treatments included 1) the control group received a base diet without vitamin supplements, 2) injectable vitamin AD3E, 3) rumen-protected vitamin AD3E as a part of concentrate, and 4) AD3E vitamin in drinking water. Feed intake and body weight of lambs were recorded weekly during the fattening period. The samples of blood and rumen liquid were collected from the lambs on the 30th and 60th days of the experiment.

 The results indicated that the gas production, digestible organic matter, metabolizable energy, and short-chain fatty acids were reduced due to vitamin AD3E supplementation compared with the control group (P<0.05). Growth performance was not different when supplemented with AD3E, but for the rumen-protected vitamin, the average daily increase was 48 g more than that in the control group. The feed conversion ratio showed a significant decrease in AD3E water-soluble vitamins compared with the control group (P<0.05). The pH was not influenced by experimental treatments. The ammonia concentration was higher in treatments 3 and 4 (P<0.05), and the protozoa count was reduced due to vitamin AD3E supplementation (P<0.05). The BUN serum concentration was lower in treatments 2 and 3 compared with other treatments (P=0.008). Vitamin supplementation with AD3E administered in water or its injection made a significant increase in cholesterol concentration (P=0.002). Blood concentration of triglyceride showed a significant increase in treatment 4 (P=0.007). Plasma concentration of HDL was lower in lambs who received rumen-protected AD3E compared to the control group (P<0.05). Experimental treatments did not affect plasma glucose, total protein, albumin, LDL, and MAD concentrations of fattening lambs (P>0.05). Plasma concentration of BUN on day 60 was higher compared to the 30th day in all treatments (P<0.05). However, plasma concentrations of triglyceride and glucose were lower on day 60 compared to the 30th day of the experiment in all groups.

 Results showed that vitamin AD3E had no significant effect on growth performance; however, it was greater in the vitamin group treated with rumen protection than in the control group. Gas production, protozoa population, and ammonia nitrogen decreased compared to control. Higher doses of vitamins, especially the rumen-protected vitamin AD3E, are recommended in larger sample sizes and for longer periods.

 Wheat grain is normally used for animal feed in some regions, but is seldom used in others. Its nutritional composition is very similar to that of the barley grain commonly used, but there are concerns about its effects on the performance and health of the animals. Wheat seed is one of the grain varieties with the highest amount of protein available for animal feed, exceeding corn. Furthermore, it has a high energy value of 3.0 to 3.5 Mcal of ME (metabolizable energy), which is an important source of energy for animal feed. The most abundant carbohydrate in wheat is starch, a digestible polysaccharide. On the other hand, it is recommended that wheat has a moisture content of less than 14% to avoid problems with digestibility and contamination by mycotoxigenic fungi. Barley is an important grain which is widely used as a source of feed for ruminants. Feed deliveries during the fattening period are the physical processing of the feed. It has been demonstrated that barley starch ferments rapidly in the rumen. The high digestibility of barley has raised concerns regarding acidosis, lameness, liver abscesses, and gastrointestinal abnormalities in ruminants. It is generally considered that the processing of barley grain may be used in the feed industry to adjust the rate of digestion of its nutrients to avoid acidosis. Consequently, the distribution of particle sizes after processing is one of the main factors influencing the rate and extent of digestion of barley (feeding of livestock accounts for 65-70% of the cost of raising livestock). Wheat and barley are used as the predominant source of energy for animal nutrition in most parts of the world. Wheat seed has been used for a long time because of the extensive cultivation and livestock rearing in Iran. The most common way of processing barley and wheat grain in the country is by grinding. Farmers prefer to use whole grains in the production of concentrates, as the concentrate involves the use of crushed grains, but the farmer's wish to use whole grains in the concentrate requires a study and field investigation. The purpose of this study is therefore to examine the effects of the grain size of barley and wheat on the diet of lambs fattening and to compare their effects on growth performance, digestibility, rumination and blood parameters.

 This experiment was carried out in the form of a completely randomized design with a factorial arrangement of 3×2 with six treatments including 1. Finely milled barley grain with sieve number two, 2. Coarsely milled barley grain with sieve number eight, 3. Unmilled barley grain, 4. Finely milled wheat grain with sieve number two, 5. Coarsely milled wheat grain with sieve number eight, and 6. Unmilled wheat grain. Five fattening lambs aged 4-5 months with almost the same starting weight were allocated to each treatment and a total of 30 male lambs were individually tested for 98 days, including two weeks for acclimatization and 84 days for the remainder of the main test period. The performance of lambs was assessed in this experiment, including average daily feed consumption, daily weight gain, final weight, and feed conversion ratio. Nutrient digestibility was measured by the acid-insoluble ash (AIA) method from day 80 for four days. The digestibility of dry matter organic matter, crude protein, ether extract, and neutral detergent fiber was evaluated. Blood parameters were measured including blood glucose, blood cholesterol (LDL-c, HDL-c), and blood urea nitrogen (BUN).

 The results showed that daily weight gain was significant throughout the treatment period and daily weight gain was greater in the treatment group that consumed barley than in the treatment group that consumed wheat (P<0.05). The impact of the grain, the type of processing, and their interaction on feed consumption in all three experimental periods was not significant. Total feed consumption was not significant, but it was significant during the last month of fattening (P<0.05). Lambs consuming barley and wheat milled with sieve number eight had the highest feed consumption compared with the treatment of wheat and barley with sieve number two and whole grains (P<0.05). The feed conversion ratio in treatments receiving wheat was higher than that in those receiving barley (P<0.05). The type of processing had no significant impact on the feed conversion rate (P>0.05). In the study of nutritional behavior, the results showed that the parameters of eating and rumination were higher in the treatments receiving wheat compared to barley (P<0.05). Also, the treatments receiving unmilled barley and wheat (whole grain) showed the highest levels of eating and rumination (P<0.05). The treatments receiving barley and wheat grains with sieve number two also showed the lowest levels of eating and rumination. There were no significant differences in nutrient digestibility, rumination parameters, and blood parameters (P>0.05). Contrary to the view of the farmers that whole grains are better than milled grains, the results showed that overall the use of ground or whole grains did not show a significant difference.

 Overall, the results showed that there was no significant difference between whole grain and milled grain, and even from the point of view of palatability, milled grain with a sieve number 8 had a higher consumption rate than the other treatments. These findings indicate that milled barley grain with a sieve number 8 may be used as a substitute for whole barley grain in the feeding of lambs.

The aim of this experiment was to investigate the effects of dietary artichoke level on growth performance, nutrients digestibility and plasma parameters in fattening male lambs. Twenty-four Kurdish lambs (30.18 ± 2.35 kg BW and 7 months age) were used in a completely randomized design. Experimental diets were diet containing 0% artichoke (control), diets containing 10 and 20% artichoke respectively. The experiment was lasted for 100 days including 20 days for adaptation period and 80 days for data recording and samples collection. Results showed that lambs fed diet containing artichoke had greater average daily gain and feed efficiency compared to the control group (P<0.05). Digestibility of dry matter (P=0.09), organic matter (P=0.09) and crude protein (P=0.10) tended to increase linearly with increasing artichoke level in the diet, whereas digestibility of neutral detergent fiber was not affected by artichoke level in the diet. Lambs fed diets containing artichoke had lower blood urea concentration compared to those fed control diet (P<0.05), but plasma glucose, total protein, albumin, globulin, cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations were not affected by the experimental diets. It is concluded that feeding artichoke up to 20% of total mixed ration not only had no negative effect on feed intake and nutrients digestibility but also improved growth performance of fattening lambs.

The effects of non-protein nitrogen (NPN) source and feeding level on growth performance, digestibility of nutrients, blood metabolites and nutritional behavior of fattening lambs have been studied. 28 male lambs (age: 4-5 month; BW: 36.1±3) were used in a 2×2 factorial design with four experimental treatments for 60 days. Two type of NPN (urea and biuret) were used twice and three times a day. The results showed that lambs consuming biuret had a higher ADG and lower FCR (P<0.05) than those fed urea. The effect of NPN source on ADF digestibility was significant (P>0.05). There was no significant difference in blood glucose concentration between experimental treatments (P>0.05). The concentration of urea and blood urea nitrogen before and six hours after morning feeding was higher in lambs consuming urea than biuret (p<0.0.5). The concentration of total protein was significantly higher six hours after feeding in lambs consuming urea than biuret (P<0.0.5). The type of NPN source was not significant on the nutritional behavior of lambs (P>0.05) however, feeding level had a significant effect on eating behavior, chewing, eating dry matter and eating NDF consumption (P<0.05). In general, it can be concluded that the use of biuret improves growth performance and nitrogen metabolism as compared to urea in fattening lambs.

Today, the increase in the world's population, especially in third-world countries, has caused an increase in the demand for livestock products, which will subsequently require more livestock products and more food resources to meet these needs. The use of waste from factories of agricultural transformation industries in feeding livestock helps to make the cost of breeding more economical. Since cotton by-product is considered a product of cotton ginning factories, it can be said that due to its nutritional value, its use in animal diets is to avoid wasting this huge source of feed. Cotton by-product contains 86.9% dry matter, 12.3% crude protein, 57.7% NDF, 12.2% ash, 1.7% calcium, 0.31% phosphorus, and 1.06% net energy. The results of the studies showed that cotton waste can be used as a source of protein in the diet of fattening animals. This study aimed to assess the effect of feeding different levels of cotton by-products on performance, degradability, rumen fermentation parameters, microbial protein, and microbial population in fattening lambs.
In this study, 24 male Afshari lambs with a mean weight of 30±0.7 kg and a mean age of four months were used in a completely randomized design with four treatments and six replications for 90 days. The experimental treatments included: 1) a diet without cotton by-product (control), 2) a diet containing 33.33% cotton by-product instead of alfalfa, 3) a diet containing 66.66% cotton by-product instead of alfalfa, and 4) a diet containing 100% cotton by-product instead. Hay was based on dry matter. The cotton by-product used in this study was obtained from Mahosh cotton ginning factory located in Razavi Khorasan province, Neyshabur city, Iran. After entering the test site, it was chopped and then mixed with alfalfa in certain percentages; it was consumed by experimental lambs. Growth performance traits including daily feed intake, daily weight gain, and feed conversion ratio were measured during the experiment period. To measure ruminal fermentation parameters and bacteria and protozoa populations, the rumen fluid of the experimental lambs was taken from the rumen on the 90th day of the experiment, three hours after morning feeding using an esophageal tube. To determine urine purine derivatives, the total 24-hour urine production of each animal was collected in a special container under the metabolic cage on five sampling days. The number of three fistulaized Afshari sheep with a mean weight of about 50±2 kg and a mean age of approximately 11 months was used to estimate the parameters of degradability of dry matter, crude protein, and NDF.
The growth performance results showed that replacing 100% cotton by-products instead of dry alfalfa increased feed intake, increased daily weight, and decreased feed conversion ratio (P<0.05). The results of ruminal parameters showed that the treatment containing 66.66 and 100% replacement of cotton by-products instead of dry alfalfa had the highest concentration of total volatile fatty acids, acetic acid, and acetate to propionate ratio (P<0.05). There was no significant difference between the experimental treatments in the amounts of purine excretion derivatives and microbial protein production. The use of 66.66% of the substitute cotton by-product instead of dry alfalfa in the diet increased the total population of rumen fluid bacteria (P<0.05) but had no significant effect on the protozoan population. The results of meta-measures of dry matter degradability, crude protein, and NDF showed that there was no significant difference between experimental treatments.
The general results of the study showed that replacing cotton by-products by 66.66 or 100% instead of dry alfalfa in the diet improved the performance, increased the bacterial population, and concentration of total volatile fatty acids in the rumen fluid of fattening lambs. The use of cotton by-products can be a suitable substitute for alfalfa in the diet of fattening lambs without negative effects on growth performance and rumen fermentation indices.

Approximately 80 to 85 percent of the costs of raising fattening lambs are related to the cost of feed. Therefore, conducting research in order to determine the functionally and economically optimal ration for fattening lambs will help to improve the country's animal husbandry situation. On the other hand, with the advancement of technology and the use of new methods for converting and processing food, many sources of animal feed have become competitive with human food sources, including corn, wheat and barley. In order to compensate for this deficiency, exploitation and optimal use of agricultural wastes and by-products as feed in feeding ruminants to improve livestock production is inevitable. One of these agricultural wastes is the by-product of corn called corn germ meal, which is produced during the process of extracting corn germ with dry or wet milling process to produce corn germ to produce corn oil for human consumption. Therefore, based on this, this research was conducted to investigate the effect of replacing soybean meal (SBM) with corn germ meal (CGM) in the diet on performance, digestibility, chewing behavior, and blood parameters of fattening lambs.

In this research, 30 breeding lambs (with an average weight of 32.1±2.7 kg) were randomly divided into 3 groups with 10 repetitions. The lambs of the control group were fed with diet without corn germ meal. Other groups were fed by replacing 50% and 100% soybean meal with sprout meal in the diet for 84 days. At the beginning of the research, in order to ensure the complete health of the lambs and being free from parasites, parasite control (disinfecting the place and eating albendazole tablets) was carried out, and enterotoxemia vaccine was injected subcutaneously. Finally, the animals were randomly assigned to each of the experimental treatments and placed in individual cages. During all stages of the research, animals had free access to rock salt and clean drinking water. Lambs were weighed every 14 days. The amount of food consumed and post-feeding was recorded on a daily basis. The diet of fattening lambs was adjusted according to the recommended requirements of the tables of the National Sheep Research Association, and the experimental treatments were the same in terms of protein and energy content. In order to calculate the weight changes, the animals were weighed weekly after 16 hours of starvation using a digital scale. The daily feed was completely mixed to the animals and the remaining feed for each animal was weighed and recorded every day. The feed consumption of each animal was also calculated from the difference and then the remaining manger of each animal was calculated. For samples related to digestibility, firstly, feed, waste and feces samples collected from each animal on day 77 to 82 were collected for five days. In order to measure blood metabolites, blood samples were taken from the jugular vein of lambs using heparinized tubes and syringes on the 60th day. Chemical kits of Pars Azmoun company and autoanalyzer were used to measure blood glucose, urea and triglyceride levels. Finally, during the 82nd and 83rd days of the test period, chewing activity was measured for a duration of 48 hours. The time spent for the activities of eating, resting and ruminating was recorded visually every 5 minutes and assuming that the activity continued for the last 5 minutes for all the animals during the day and night hours. Finally, the results of the experiment were analyzed with SAS statistical program.

According to the results obtained in the present study, replacing soybean meal with corn germ meal in fattening lambs did not show any difference in body weight gain on days 28, 56 and 84. In addition, total body weight and daily weight gain during the entire experimental period were not affected by the replacement of soybean meal with corn germ meal in the diet of fattening lambs. Also, weekly feed consumption, daily dry matter consumption and feed conversion ratio were not affected by the consumption of corn germ meal in the diet of fattening lambs. Also, the results of the apparent digestibility of the nutrients of the experimental diets showed that the digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, insoluble fibers in neutral detergent, insoluble fibers in acidic detergent and ether extract of fattening lambs was not affected by corn sprout meal feeding. The results of the chewing behavior of the lambs showed that there was no significant difference between the different treatments in terms of time of eating, rumination, chewing, resting and standing. The results of some blood serum parameters showed that the concentrations of triglyceride (P=0.031) and urea (P=0.014) in lambs fed with corn germ meal showed a significant increase compared to the control group; Anyway, replacing soybean meal with corn sprout meal in this study had no effect on blood glucose concentration.

According to the results obtained from the present research, corn germ meal can be used in the diet of fattening lambs without reducing performance, feed consumption, nutrient digestibility, chewing behavior and blood serum parameters, and this product can be completely replace soybean meal.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of different levels of probiotic yeast supplement (Saccharomyces servicii) in the diet on growth performance, carcass traits, and some blood and rumen parameters in Zell cross-breed fattening lambs. For this purpose, a total of 24 crossbred of Zell-Atabai lambs with a mean weight of 26±2 kg and a mean age of 5.5 months were used in a completely randomized design with 4 treatments and 6 replications for 90 days. The results of growth performance showed that the treatment with 8 grams of probiotic supplement significantly had the highest final fattening weight, daily weight gain and the lowest feed conversion ratio (P<0.05). In apparent digestibility of nutrients, treatment with 8 grams of probiotic supplement had the highest digestibility of crude protein and NDF (P<0.05). In the results of blood parameters, there was a significant difference in the concentration of glucose, cholesterol and HDL between experimental treatments (P<0.05). The results of carcass traits showed that in live weight, thigh percentage and shoulder percentage, treatment with 8 grams of probiotic supplement significantly had the highest values (P<0.05). The highest value of pH, VFA, acetic acid, propionic acid, total population of bacteria and ruminal fluid protozoa was observed respectively in the treatment of 8 grams of probiotic supplement (P<0.05). The general result of the research showed that the consumption of 8 grams of yeast probiotic supplement improved growth performance, valuable carcass parts, apparent digestibility and morphological characteristics of rumen villi in fattening lambs.

This study was aimed to optimize the suitable slaughter weight of Afshari fattening male lambs by using the feed conversion ratio curve and carcass tissue composition. Thirty-two Afshari male lambs, averaging 105±15.0 (SD) days of age and initial body weight of 30.2±3.6 (SD) kg, from the commercial herd in the Animal Science Research Institute of Iran were used. Metabolizable energy (ME) contents were, 2.79, 2.78, 2.72 and 2.69 Mcal/kg dry matter (DM) and crude protein (CP) contents were 146, 128, 109, and 103 g/kg for the 1, 2, 3, and 4 diets, respectively. The results showed, DMI and feed conversion ratio (FCR) had an increasing trend, with the increasing length of fattening period. The daily weight gains, had an upward trend from the beginning of the experiment to the 56th day, and then it decreased with a relatively small slope. Dressing percentage increased, with increasing length of the trail, so that it was significantly higher in the last stage of slaughter (55.3%) than the previous (52%). Weight percent of digestive tract (stomach and intestine), liver and, lung decreased but weight percent of internal fat increased, with a significantly difference, when experimental period increased. The highest percent of fat-tail weight, was observed in the last stage of slaughter (19.8) and the lowest was observed in the first stage of slaughter (14.2). Back fat thickness increased with increasing length of the experiment, so that a significant difference observed between the last stage of slaughter and the previous stages.

The lack of animal feed resources and the increase in animal feed costs relative to the total production costs have created challenges in supplying society with animal protein. Therefore, correctly estimating the nutritional value of feed, especially protein sources, can be an important step in meeting the needs of livestock and reducing production costs. Protein is the most important and expensive nutrient used in ruminant diets. Using non-protein nitrogen (NPN) sources such as urea or its products can be considered a cheap alternative source in animal feeding. Iran is one of the most important urea-producing countries in the world; therefore, using urea or its slow-release products as a feed additive in animal nutrition can be beneficial. In the past years, various sources of slow-release urea have been produced and used in animal feeding. Biuret (heated urea) is one of the slow-release urea compounds, and its production cost is lower than other slow-release urea sources. Compared to urea, it has less solubility in water and is converted to ammonia in the rumen at a much slower rate. It is also less toxic than urea and has a lower negative effect on feed palatability, so it can be used to a greater extent than urea in the diet of ruminants. Biuret is very safe and it can be included in the diet of animals in an amount of 20 times higher than the toxic dose of urea. Biuret usually contains 248.5% crude protein (39.8% nitrogen content), which is a little less than urea. On the other hand, increasing the daily feeding frequency is one of the management methods that may improve the productive performance of livestock, as well as the quantity and quality of the carcass. Increasing the feed frequency may improve nitrogen retention and reduce body fat. It is believed that increasing the frequency of daily feeding will keep the feed fresh, reduce the amount of feed waste, and improve livestock performance. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of NPN source, in high-protein diets, and feeding frequency on growth performance, rumen parameters, and the activity of rumen microbial enzymes of fattening lambs.
Twenty-eight male Lori-Bakhtiari fattening lambs (age: four to five months; live weight: 36.1±3 kg) were assessed for 60 days using a 2×2 factorial experiment in a completely randomized design with four treatments and seven replications. The experimental high-protein diets (16% of DM) contained urea or biuret, which were given to the lambs in the form of a total mixed ration two or three times a day. The lambs were kept in 1×1.5 m2 individual stalls. Nutrient intake, growth performance, and ruminal parameters [on day 45 of the experiment at fasting (before morning feeding), three, and six h after feeding] including pH, ammonia and volatile fatty acid concentrations, and microbial enzyme activity were measured.
Results showed that intakes of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber and ether extract, final weight, and total weight gain were not affected by NPN type or feeding frequency (P<0.05). Compared to urea, lambs consuming biuret had higher average daily gain and better feed conversion ratio (P<0.05). The ruminal pH was not affected by the NPN source, feeding frequency, and their interaction (P<0.05). Rumen ammonia nitrogen concentration at three and six hours after morning feeding was significantly higher in lambs fed the diet containing urea than in biuret (P<0.05). The effect of NPN source, feeding frequency, and their interaction was not significant at 0 and six h after feeding on the ruminal concentration of total volatile fatty acids (VFA), acetate, propionate, butyrate, valerate, iso-valerate, and acetate to propionate ratio (P<0.05). However, feeding a diet containing biuret and given three times a day increased total VFA and acetate concentration at three hours post-feeding (P<0.05). The ruminal activity of carboxymethyl cellulase at 0, three, and six hours after feeding increased in animals fed biuret-containing diet compared to urea (P<0.05). However, rumen protease activity significantly increased in lambs fed a urea-containing diet than biuret-containing diet (P<0.05). Feeding three times a day increased the activity of carboxymethyl cellulase at three hours post-feeding (P<0.05). Filter paper degrading activity at three and six hours after feeding in lambs fed biuret was significantly higher than those fed urea (P<0.05). The activity of microcrystalline cellulase and α-amylase was not affected by the NPN source, feeding frequency, and their interaction (P<0.05).
Using biuret compared to the urea, in high-protein diets, and feeding diets three times a day, compared to two times a day, improved rumen fermentation parameters and performance of fattening lambs.

Based on current knowledge, it has been proven that many edible ingredients in addition to meeting the needs of creatures, in terms of energy and protein, contain compounds that affect cellular actions and intracellular signaling pathways and can temporarily or permanently change the function of the cell. The use of molecular biology tools and genetic research defines the mechanisms through which gene expression is affected by food, and conversely, these genes also affect the absorption of food, metabolism, and excretion. From the point of view of nutrigenomics, dietary nutrients are signals that are received by sensitive cell systems and can affect the expression of genes and proteins and the production of metabolites. Nutritional manipulations and strategies are key tools to influence ruminant production. Fatty acids act on the nucleus by binding to and regulating the activity of specific nuclear receptors or transcription factors, thus playing a central role in regulating the expression of genes involved in fatty acid uptake by muscle cells. Interactions between diet nutrients and the expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism have many possibilities regarding the deposition of fatty acids in the tissue. The study of gene expression has enabled clarification of the mode of fatty acid metabolism in muscle and the accumulation of intramuscular fat or marbling and the role of the genes that promote fatty acid oxidation and mitochondrial respiration in the liver muscle and adipose tissue. Polyunsaturated fatty acids with multiple double bonds (PUFA) and monounsaturated fatty acids with one double bond (MUFA) have received much attention in the last decade, and their health benefits are increasingly evident. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of using calcium salts of fish oil, olive oil, and saturated fat on the expression of some genes related to fat metabolism in Lori Bakhtiari×Romanov fattening lambs.
This study was carried out at the educational research station of the Department of Animal Science of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran. 49 male lambs aged four to five months with an average initial weight of 29.97 ± 0.88 kg were divided into seven groups of seven lambs in a completely randomized design. The experiment consisted of seven treatments with a basic diet as follows: 1) Basic diet without fat powder (control), 2 and 3) Basic diet with calcium salt of fish oil (rich in omega-3 fatty acids) in the amount of 2% dry matter of the diet for 90 and 45 days, respectively, 4 and 5) Basic diet with calcium salt of olive oil (rich in omega-9 fatty acids) at the rate of 2% dry matter of the diet for 90 and 45 days, respectively, 6 and 7) Basic diet with saturated fat powder in the amount of 2% dry matter of the diet for 90 and 45 days, respectively. Rations were adjusted based on the NRC Sheep and Goat and using the fifth version of CNCPS (The Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System) software so that they are the same in terms of energy and protein. Twenty-eight lambs were slaughtered and a liver sample was taken for nutrigenomics studies. Total RNA was extracted from liver tissue samples using the RNA extraction kit produced by Dena Bio Asia Company (Mashhad) and according to the protocol provided with the kit. The expression of four main genes involved in lipid metabolism in liver tissue was investigated to provide comprehensive information on the effects of omega-3, omega-9 fatty acids, and saturated fat at the molecular level.
The results showed that feeding with calcium salts of fish oil, olive oil, and saturated fat, both in the whole 90 days or the last 45 days of the fattening period, had no significant effect on the expression of FADS1 and FADS2 genes in liver tissue compared to the control group. However, the use of calcium salts of fish and olive oils in periods of 90 and 45 days significantly increased the hepatic mRNA expression of the CPT1 gene (P=0.001) and ACOX1 gene mRNA expression in liver tissue compared to control and saturated fat treatments (P=0.002). The CPT1 enzyme is responsible for a mitochondrial transport system and plays a key role in controlling the oxidation of long-chain fatty acids and stimulating mitochondrial β-oxidation.
The results of this study showed that diet supplementation with calcium salts of fish and olive unsaturated fatty acids, regardless of the period of consumption, increased the expression of genes involved in the lipolysis of liver tissue fats of lambs.

One of the important by-products is the pomegranate pulps which is pulp left after pomegranate juice. The presence of significant amounts of biologically active compounds such as phenolic acid, flavonoids, and tannins in pomegranate fruit ensures its high nutritional value. Pomegranate peel is a part of the fruit that has very high antioxidant properties and contains high amounts of polyphenols such as tannins. There have been numerous reports of the negative effects of tannins on consumer animals. One of the compounds that can bind to tannins and reduce their harmful effects is the tannase enzyme. So, this study aimed to investigate the effects of using different levels of pomegranate pulp without or in combination with tannase enzyme in the diet of fattening lambs on performance, nutrient digestibility, and some blood parameters. After preparing pomegranate pulp, drying it, and preparing tannase enzyme, 25 male Moghani lambs with an average weight of 30±2 kg and the average age is about 7 months, were used in four treatments in a completely randomized design. experimental treatments include 1- control, 2- 2.5% pomegranate pulp powder, 3- 5% pomegranate pulp powder, 4- 2.5% pomegranate pulp powder + 0.05 % dry matter of tannase enzyme 5- 5% pomegranate pulp powder + 0.05 % dry matter of tannase enzyme. During the experimental period, the performance parameters including feed intake, weight gain, and feed conversion ratio were measured. The concentration of blood parameters and the activity of liver enzymes containing ALP, ALT, and AST in the blood of lambs were determined. The Data obtained were analyzed using SAS (9/1) statistical software. The experimental treatments demonstrated no significant impact on the weight gain and feed intake of the lambs. However, when examining the amount of feed consumption and daily feed consumption, higher values were observed during the second 30 days of the rearing period in comparison to the initial 30 days.While nutrient digestibility remained largely unaffected, a notable trend in the digestibility of dry matter was observed. Further comparisons between treatments revealed a higher digestibility of organic matter, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), and ash in the group receiving 2.5% pomegranate pomace. These findings provide insights into the potential influence of pomegranate pomace supplementation on specific aspects of nutrient utilization in lamb diets. Fat in the treatment of 2.5% pomace with enzyme and digestibility of crude protein was higher in the treatment of 5% pomace with the enzyme. The comparison of different pomace levels showed that the use of high levels of pomegranate pomace (5%) increased blood glucose and the lowest blood urea concentration was obtained by feeding 5% pomace. The lowest concentrations of HDL and LDL in the blood also belonged to the control treatment. The use of tannase enzymes in the diet also increased the concentration of glucose parameters and decreased blood urea. The highest amount of glucose of the studied lambs were observed in the first thirty days of sampling. In the present study, the use of pomegranate pomace increased glucose in both rearing periods and decreased blood triglyceride levels in the second rearing period. Alanine phosphatase (ALP) enzyme activity was significant in the second period, the breeding period (P<0.05). The highest level of activity of this enzyme was observed in the blood of lambs fed with 2.5% of dung. The activity of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) was not significant between sampling periods (P<0.05). Feeding different levels of pomegranate pomace powder with or without tannase enzyme had no significant effect on blood malondialdehyde concentration as an antioxidant index of the blood of fattening lambs. However, the comparison between the experimental treatments showed that the highest level of this index was found in the blood samples obtained from lambs fed with a diet containing 5% of pomegranate pomace powder + 0.05% of the dry matter of the tannase enzyme diet. The inclusion of different levels of pomegranate pomace in the diet led to a significant difference in the activity of the alanine phosphatase enzyme among the experimental treatments (P<0.05) and increased blood glucose (P<0.05). None of the functional parameters, including weight gain, and feed consumption, were affected by the use of pomegranate pulp with or without tannase enzyme during the entire experimental period. However, the food conversion coefficient improved in the treatments containing pomegranate pomace with tannin enzyme. The highest amount of antioxidant index related to the diet containing 5% of pomegranate pomace powder + 0.05% of the diet's dry matter was tannase enzyme. Therefore, the level of 5% of pomegranate pomace along with the tannase enzyme increases animal health and improves animal growth performance.

Using agro-Industrial by-products in animal nutrition is an efficient way to improve low quality materials to high quality feeds. Agro-industrial by-products are wasted often and their disposal may cause environmental problems, as they are perishable and potential pollutants. Tomato pomace (TP) is the main waste of tomato factories. In Iran, about 6.9 million tons of tomatoes are produced annually, from that about 575,000 tons of TP is produced. TP, as a by-product, is a good source of vitamin B1, B2 and a reasonable source of vitamin A. Additionally, TP contains important compounds such as carotenoids such as lycopene, which their presence in animal products can be important for consumer health. TP can be used as promising protein and fiber sources in ruminant nutrition. The chemical composition of TP in different parts of the country has already been reported. There are some discrepancies among the results in term of chemical composition. Different results obtained by various studies could be due to the different analytical methods used as well as differences in processing conditions. A few experiments have examined the potential use of TP in ruminant diets. For example, TP has been used in dairy cows without any negative effect on milk production. There are also reports of a positive effect of using TP in fattening lambs. However, information about the effect of TP on ruminal fermentation and digestibility parameters is lacking. The aim of this study was to determine the chemical composition and nutritional value of dried TP and its replacement with wheat bran (WB) in vitro.

Initially the TP was prepared from Rojin Tak factory in Kermanshah. After that, TP samples have dried in the shade, and transported to the laboratory. Chemical composition and gas production parameters of TP and WB were measured using conventional methods. Dry matter (DM), ash, Ether extract (EE), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and crude protein (CP) of the samples were determined. In the first gas production experiment, ruminal fluid was obtained from two male Lori sheep (live weight 47 ± 0.2 kg) fitted with permanent rumen cannula. Samples (250 mg on a DM basis and particle size 1 mm) were accurately weighed into 100 ml serum bottles. Each bottle was filled with 5 mL strained rumen fluid and 20 mL buffer solution, closed with a butyl rubber stopper, sealed with aluminum crimp, shaken and placed in a water-bath at 39°C. Gas production (ml/250 mg sample) after 24 h (GP24), 48 h (GP48), 72 h (GP72) and 96 h (GP96) incubation were determined. two parameters of b (GP from the fermentable fraction (ml)) and c ( rate constant of GP (ml/h)) were calculated based on gas production at 16 h The gas volume produced was recorded at 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h using a digital pressure transducer. Fermentation parameters were determined after 24 h of incubation. Bottles were placed in an ice bath to stop fermentation and gradually warmed up to 25°C. The gas production volume was recorded and pH determined. From each bottle, a sub sample of supernatant (5 mL) was immediately preserved with 5 mL of HCl 0.1 N and stored at -20°C for ammonia-nitrogen (NH3-N) analysis. Fermentation residues were oven dried at 60°C for 48 h to estimate the DM disappearance. Furthermore, the in vitro dry matter (IVDMD) and organic matter disappearance (IVOMD), short chain fatty acid (SCFA; mmol/g DM), microbial protein (MP; mg/g DM) and estimated metabolisable energy (ME; Mcal/kg DM) of TP were measured and compared to those of wheat barn (WB). In the second gas production experiment, the effects of 0 (control), 2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10% (dry matter basic) levels of TP substituted with WB on fattening lambs diet were investigated (on based nutrient requirements). In this section, fermentation parameters were determined only at 16 h after incubation.

The results showed that organic matter, ash, CP, NDF and ADF of TP were 940, 59, 172, 630 and 420 g/kg DM, respectively. In the present experiment, TP had more CP, EE, NDF and ADF than WB (P<0.05). TP showed lower gas production potential and gas production rate than WB (P<0.05). TP showed lower GP24, GP48, GP72 and GP96 than WB (P<0.05). The inclusion of TP in diets linearly increased partitioning factor and MP (P<0.05), but it linearly decreased IVDMD, IVOMD, SCFA and ME (P<0.05). The partitioning factor and microbial protein production of TP was higher than WB (P<0.05). It seems that low gas production for TP compared to WB was resulted due to high content of insoluble fiber in the TP, which requires more time for attachment and fermentation of microorganisms. Complete replacement of TP with WB increased partitioning factor and microbial protein production (P<0.05), with no negative effect on gas production, metabolizable energy and fermentation parameters (P>0.05). Increased microbial protein production with TP incubation is presumably related to the presence of phenolic compounds in TP. It has been shown that in low-concentration, tannins may improve microbial protein production by modulating rumen fermentation conditions. The experimental results showed that by adding TP, digestibility of dry matter and organic matter decreased. This reduction seems to be related to the higher cell wall part of the TP as compared to WB. It appears that carbohydrates in TP are digested slower than those in WB. This could be overcome by some chemical treatments. Another reason for the reduced digestibility of TP diets is probably due to higher fat content of TP.

In overall, using TP in the diets of fattening lambs had no negative effect on rumen fermentation parameters; therefore, based on chemical composition and lower price of TP compared to WB, using TP up to 10% of diets might be economically useful in lamb fattening.

The most important problem of the animal industry is the supply of needed feeds, and identifying the new sources of feeds is of particular importance. This study was conducted to determine chemical composition of whole basil (Ocimum basilicum) forage after seeding and to investigate the effect of different levels of this forage replacing with straw and a part of alfalfa in the diet of fattening lambs on performance, blood parameters and the nutrients digestibility.

18 male Zandi lambs with initial body weight of 28.8±2.03 kg were used in a completely randomized design with 3 treatments and 6 lambs in each group. Experimental treatments were: 1) control (basal diet without whole basil forage) 2) basal diet + 12.5 % basil forage and 3) basal diet + 25 % basil forage. Chemical composition of basil forage was determined. Also, nutrients digestibility of experimental diets, blood parameters and performance of experimental lambs were determined. 

Average amount of dry matter, crude protein, crude fat, NDF and ash of basil forage were 92.69±1.2, 6.65±0.06, 1.35±0.01, 54.26±0.33 and 11.09±0.44, respectively. Replacing of basil with wheat straw and alfalfa hay in finishing experimental lambs resulted in improvement in DMI, ADG and FCR (p<0.05). Blood glucose, BUN, cholesterol, triglycerides and hepatic enzymes were not significantly affect by experimental groups. Blood total protein concentration was higher in lambs fed by 25 % basil forage compared to other experimental groups (p<0.05). Feeding whole basil increased digestibility of crude protein, crude fat and NDF (p<0.05), but had no any effect on carcass traits and tail fat weight of experimental lambs.

Results of this study showed that whole basil can be used replacing with wheat straw and alfalfa hay up to 25 % in fattening lambs diet without negative effect on performance and digestibility of diets nutrients.

By-products can have an important role in supplying livestock feed. Using these resources as a substitute for conventional resources decrease their demand for animal feed. One of the most common sources of demand is soybean meal. Optimal use of poultry by-products meal as a source of protein is one of the suggested solutions to decreases demand for soybean meal. Poultry by-products meal is said to be parts of poultry carcasses that have been milled if dry or wet, such as heads, feet, Intestines and viscera and except for feathers. Note that even in a good slaughterhouse there is a small amount of feather. The fat by more than 16% accelerates the Spoilage of this product, Therefore; it is recommended that the fat of these products should not be more than 10 to 12% (Gheshlagh Oliai et al. 2010; Watson 2006). Its chemical composition depends on the source of raw material, storage time of raw materials before processing, processing method, pressure and temperature during preparation and the amount of ash in the raw material (Jan Mohammadi et al., 1388). In order to use this by-product, the analysis of chemical composition and its effect on animal performance must be studied. The present study aimed to investigate the possibility of replacing protein sources conventional (soybean meal) with poultry by-products meal in the diet of fattening lambs and changes in growth, rumen and blood parameters, microbial population and microbial protein yield.

In order to investigate the effect of replacing the waste powder of poultry slaughterhouses with soybean meal, 16 male Dalagh mixed lambs with an average weight of 29 ± 0.5 kg were tested at the research site of the Animal Science Department of Golestan Agricultural Research and Training Center. The experiment was performed in a completely randomized design with 4 replacement levels and 4 replications. The diets of the lambs were adjusted according to the sheep nutritional requirements table (National Research Association 2007), with the same energy and protein levels. The lambs were fed a total mixed ration at two times on day with free access to water. Treatments (diets) included: control (soybean meal), 33% replacement, 67% replacement and 100% replacement of poultry by-product meal with soybean meal. Rumen fluid sampling was performed to measure ruminal parameters including volatile fatty acids, ruminal pH and ammonia nitrogen concentration through the stomach tube 3 hours after feeding. Determination of ammonia nitrogen concentration was measured by phenol hypochlorite (Broderick and Kang, 1980) and volatile fatty acids using gas chromatography. The culture medium PAC was used to count the microbial load (AOAC, 2005) and Protozoa count was performed by Dehoerti (1984) method. Protozoa were counted under a 40% magnification microscope with a neobar slide. Blood samples were taken from Neck veins at the same time as ruminal fluid sampling for the concentration of total protein, urea nitrogen and sugar of blood. measurement of microbial protein yield in the rumen was performed by estimating excreted purine derivatives by Chen and Gomez (1995) method in the end period.Urine was collected for 4 consecutive days. The sample collection containers contained 100 sulfuric acid to keep the pH below 3 and were frozen until the sample was tested.

At the end of the fattening period, no significant difference was observed in the gain characters: dry matter intake, weight gain of the period, average daily weight gain and feed conversion ratio. Changing the protein source to 10% of dry matter did not affect the palatability of the diet. Its efficacy for fattening indices has also been similar to that of soybean meal. There was a significant difference in blood urea nitrogen (P <0.05) and no significant difference was observed for other blood parameters (glucose and total protein). The comparison of the means between the treatments shows that treatment of 33% has a significant difference with the treatments of 66 and 100%. However, there was no significant difference between the control diet and 100% replacement. Also, blood urea nitrogen concentration was in the normal range. The correlation between NH3H and BUN and the lack of significant differences in blood glucose and protein concentrations indicate that the replacement of soybean meal with poultry by product meal in isocaloric and nitrogenic diets in 10% of dry matter has a similar effect on metabolism and physiology. Diet without poultry by-product meal has a higher bacterial population (P <0.01) and comparison of the mean effect of dietary protein source replacement levels on the protozoa population of ruminal fluid was not significantly different. The treatment of replacement 33% showed the highest level of ruminal NH3N (P <0.05). Acetate concentration was not significantly different between treatments and the concentration of propionate for treatment was 33% and 67% higher than other levels (P <0.01). Also, the ratio of acetate to propionate was significantly different (P <0.05). The pH of ruminal fluid for replacement levels was 33% and 67% lower than the control treatment (P <0.05). Replacement of the protein source in the diet with a constant content of nitrogen and carbohydrate concentrations did not alter the ruminal ecosystem. The effect of replacement levels on the mean of microbial protein production was not significantly different. Therefore, by replacing a similar nutrient in the diet and on the other hand, the internal conditions of the body and the tendency for homeostasis can be interfering in the synthesis of microbial proteins.

This study showed that the replacement of soybean meal with poultry by-product meal in lambs fattening diets up to 10% of dry matter did not have a negative response on fattening performance, blood and ruminal parameters. Also, it can reduce the demand for soybean meal in the rations.

In the animal husbandry industry, more than 70% of the production costs are related to nutrition. Among the nutrients consumed by livestock, protein is one of the most important and expensive nutrients. Due to Iran's limitations in the production of oilseeds and consequently the production of protein meals, providing the protein needs of livestock has been associated with many problems. The use of new and especially local protein sources in ruminant feeding is one of the main solutions to cover the lack of protein sources and reduce the import of these sources, and it also reduces production costs in the livestock and poultry industry. Camelina sativa medicinal-oil plant has attracted a lot of attention, especially in recent years, and its most important advantage is extreme resistance to drought and cold conditions. The presence of high amounts of crude protein (CP), energy, and essential amino acids in camelina meal makes it a useful and potential option for use in the livestock and poultry feed industry. It was shown that the CP content of camelina meal was 41.9% of dry matter. Also, camelina meal has higher CP content and similar rumen undegradable protein compared to canola meal. In terms of lysine and methionine amino acids, which are important in muscle growth, camelina meal is considered a rich source. Camelina is a plant with a short growth period of 85-100 days and recently in Iran at the beginning of the camelina development project, the DH1025 line was produced, which is cultivated under the name of Soheil variety on a wide scale. Various studies have been conducted on the use of camelina meal for different purposes in ruminant nutrition. This is while there is little information about the nutrition of camelina meal and especially Soheil variety in the nutrition of ruminants in Iran. Therefore, this research aimed to investigate the effects of different levels of camelina meal on growth performance, rumen fermentation parameters, blood metabolites, and nutritional behavior of Lori-Bakhtiari lambs.
Thirteen Lori-Bakhtiari male lambs of four to five months of age with a mean live weight of 34.5±5 kg were used for 70 days of the experimental fattening period. Lambs were assigned to three experimental treatments (10 lambs per treatment) in a completely randomized design. Three experimental diets contained camelina meal at levels of zero (control), five, and 10% of dry matter (DM). Experimental diets were formulated according to nutritional requirement tables for small ruminants and were similar in terms of energy and protein. Also, the ratio of forage to concentrate in the diets was considered to be 30 to 70. From the first day, the animals were kept and reared in individual stalls. Two weeks before the start of the experiment (adaptation period), the lambs were vaccinated against enterotoxemia and the amount of 20 mL of anti-parasitic syrup (5% Clozantel) per 10 kg of body weight and niclosamide anti-parasitic syrup (seven to 10 mL per lamb) was fed to the lambs. Camelina meal used in this project was a genetically modified and localized variety. Experimental rations were provided in a completely mixed form (TMR) to the lambs daily at 8:00 am and 4:00 pm.
Results showed that increasing the level of camelina meal in the diet increased linearly the concentration of ruminal ammonia, propionate, and blood urea nitrogen (P<0.05), while ruminal pH and other individual volatile fatty acids, and blood parameters were not affected by the experimental diets (P>0.05). The activity of carboxymethyl cellulase enzymes decreased linearly with increasing the level of camelina meal in the diet (P<0.05). However, the activity of other rumen microbial enzymes was not affected by the experimental diets (P>0.05). In terms of behavioral traits, diets had no effect on DM and NDF intake, and also final body weight and average daily gain (P>0.05). Except for the amount of rumination and the ratio of rumination to DM intake, which increased linearly with increasing the level of camelina meal in the diet (P<0.05), other nutritional behaviors were not affected by the experimental diets (P>0.05).
In general, the results of the present study showed that the use of camelina meal, as a new source of protein, instead of soybean meal up to 10% of dietary DM of fattening lambs is recommended.

This experiment was performed to investigate the effect of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids calcium salts (omega-3 and omega-9) on fattening performance, carcass traits and some blood biochemical properties of Lori Bakhtiari × Romanov male lambs.

49 male lambs with 29.97± 0.88 kg initial weight were divided into 7 equal groups, randomly. Lambs were fed individually with the following experimental diets: 1) Basal diet without fat powder (control), 2) Basal diet with fish oil calcium salts (2% of diet DM) for 90 days, 3) Basal diet with fish oil calcium salts (2% of diet DM) for 45 days, 4) Basal diet with olive oil calcium salts (2% of diet DM) for 90 days, 5) Basal diet with olive oil calcium salts (2% of diet DM) for 45 days, 6) Basal diet with saturated fat calcium salts (2% of diet DM) for 90 days and 7) Basal diet with saturated fat calcium salts (2% of diet DM) for 45 days. Daily feed intake of lambs was recorded and lambs body weight was measured weekly. At the end of the experiment, blood samples were taken from the jugular veins of the lambs. Then 28 lambs were weighed and slaughtered and were measured the weights of different parts of the lambs carcass.

Totally, feeding with calcium salts of fish oil, olive oil and saturated fats significantly increased daily weight gain and reduced the lambs feed conversion ratio compared to control group (p= 0.04). But had no significant effect on dry matter intake of the Lambs. Feeding with saturated and unsaturated calcium salts had no significant effect on serum glucose, cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations. Serum high density lipoproteins (HDL) were higher among the fat treatments than control treatment, but no significant difference was observed between fat treatments. The level of serum low density lipoproteins (LDL) when using of unsaturated fatty acids for 45 and 90 days was significantly lower than the using of saturated fat and control (p= 0.01). Lambs treated with fat powder had higher carcass yields than the control group. Feeding on fish and olive oil calcium salts reduced abdominal fat and kidneys around fat of lambs (p= 0.03).

Totally, results of this study showed that diet supplementation with fish and olive unsaturated fatty acids calcium salts increases the fattening performance and productivity of lambs.

An experiment was performed to investigate the effects of using saturated and unsaturated fatty acids calcium salts on the production performance and some physiological traits of finishing lambs fattened under heat stress condition. Thirty-two cross bred Lori-BakhtiariÍRomanov lambs were randomly divided into 4 groups. Lambs were fed individually with the following experimental diets for 6 weeks (early July to mid-August): 1) Basal diet without supplemental fat (control), 2) Basal diet supplemented with 2% (on DM basis) of fish oil calcium salt, 3) Basal diet supplemented with 2% (on DM basis) of olive oil calcium salt and 4) Basal diet supplemented with 2% (on DM basis) of saturated fat calcium salt. Daily feed intake was recorded and lambs body weight was measured weekly. Rectal temperature and respiration rate were measured once per week. Using calcium salts of fish oil, olive oil and saturated fats in the diet significantly increased daily weight gain and reduced the lambs feed conversion ratio compared to control group (P≤ 0.05), but had no effect on dry matter intake of the Lambs. Regardless of fatty acid origin, supplementing lambs with calcium salts of fatty acids, reduced rectal temperature and respiration rate of lambs exposed to heat stress, compared to control group (P≤ 0.01). Also, using calcium salts of Fish oil, olive oil and saturated fat had no effect on DM, CP and EE digestibility, however, EE digestibility was higher in lambs consumed fat-supplemented diets than the control group. NDF digestibility was significantly higher in the control group lambs than the other groups. The results of this study showed that diet supplementation with calcium salts of unsaturated fatty acids of fish and olives and saturated fatty acids, improved the production performance of finishing lambs exposed to heat stress. No difference was detected between fat supplements with different fatty acid patterns, in this investigation.

Processing and treatment of agricultural residues and by-products is a good economical solution for reusing them into the product cycle specially in animal feeding. The production a huge quantity of hatchery waste (HW) in the poultry industry has raised concerns about environmental pollution. Nutrients and energy in wastes, litter of broiler and hatchery after eliminating of their pathogens, can be recycled and used in livestock diets. Therefore, the purpose of this experiment was to investigate of the effect of feeding different levels of HW as the main source of dietary protein on lamb’s performance, nutrients digestibility, rumenal fermentation and blood parameters.

Twenty-four Kermani male lambs with an average initial weight of 23±0.33 kg and six months’ age, were used in a completely randomized design. The experimental diets included control diet and diets containing 3 and 6% of HW. To estimate of feed intake, the remaining feed of lambs collected and weighed daily before the morning meal. At the end of every two weeks the lambs are weighed for calculation of daily weight gain. Nutrients digestibility measured by acid insoluble ash marker method. Rumen liquid samples taken from lambs before and 3 and 6 h after feeding for NH3-N, pH and volatile fatty acids measuring. Blood samples were collected at the end of period and 3 h post morning feeding for determination of blood biochemical factors. At the end of main period, all lambs were slaughtered following an overnight fast and skinned. Empty body were weighted and stored at 4 °C for 24 hours (for determination of cold carcass weight).

In the present study, performance and dry matter intake in lambs fed with 6% hatchery waste powder were significantly higher than the control group (P<0.05). Dry matter, organic matter and crude protein digestibility was not affected by HW. But, neutral and acid detergent fiber digestibility decreased (P<0.05) by adding of HW in lamb’s diet. Adding of HW in lambs’ diet, increased warm and cold carcass weights linearly (P<0.05). The pH, protozoa population and NH3-N concentration in the rumen were not affected by the experimental diets. The HW in diet caused to decreasing (P<0.05) and increasing acetic and propionic acids concentration in lambs, respectively. Blood cholesterol and glucose level in lambs fed HW were significantly higher than other groups (P<0.05). but other factors such as BUN and total protein were not different among the experimental diets.

The chemical composition of the HW indicates that this by-product is relatively appropriate nutritious. Because of increase in feed intake and performance and too alter in ruminal fermentation characteristics, this waste can be used as part of a concentrate in the diet of lambs.