Effect of cobalt and barley grain processing on performance, digestibility of nutrients and rumen and blood parameters in fattening lambs

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of different levels of dietary cobalt and processing barley grain on dry matter intake, daily gain, feed efficiency, nutrient digestibility and rumen and blood parameters in fattening lambs. Thirty two mixed Zell lambs, 134±16 d with an average initial weight 25 ± 2 Kg randomly assigned to a factorial experiment 4 × 2 as a completely randomized design. Lambs during the experiment (70 days) were in individual boxes. Treatments were; two type of barley grain processing (ground barley and steam rollers barley) and four level of Cobalt (0, 0.25, 0.50 and 0.75 mg/Kg dry matter). The results showed that daily dry matter intake in lambs fed barley is processed with steam rollers above the lambs were fed a ground barley (P = 0.04). Treatment containing of 0.50 mg per kg Cobalt Supplements have higher weight gain (P = 0.04) and acid propionate concentration than other treatments (P = 0.01) compared to 0.75 mg per kg of dry matter and treatments without Cobalt supplements (P = 0.01). Plasma levels of glucose and vitamin B12 was greater in lambs fed Cobalt supplements compared to other treatments (P = 0.0001). In general Cobalt supplementation and barley processing with steam rollers improved performance of the lambs.