El-Badawy, M., Youssef, H., Hafez, Y., El-Sanafawy, H., El-Maghraby, M., El-Giziry., A. (2018). Effect of Rocket Oil Addition on Productive and Reproductive Performance of Growing Ram Lambs Under Hot Climate Condition.. Journal of Animal and Poultry Production, 9(1), 9-15. doi: 10.21608/jappmu.2018.35742
M. El-Badawy; Hafsa Youssef; Y. Hafez; Heba El-Sanafawy; M. El-Maghraby; A. El-Giziry.. "Effect of Rocket Oil Addition on Productive and Reproductive Performance of Growing Ram Lambs Under Hot Climate Condition.". Journal of Animal and Poultry Production, 9, 1, 2018, 9-15. doi: 10.21608/jappmu.2018.35742
El-Badawy, M., Youssef, H., Hafez, Y., El-Sanafawy, H., El-Maghraby, M., El-Giziry., A. (2018). 'Effect of Rocket Oil Addition on Productive and Reproductive Performance of Growing Ram Lambs Under Hot Climate Condition.', Journal of Animal and Poultry Production, 9(1), pp. 9-15. doi: 10.21608/jappmu.2018.35742
El-Badawy, M., Youssef, H., Hafez, Y., El-Sanafawy, H., El-Maghraby, M., El-Giziry., A. Effect of Rocket Oil Addition on Productive and Reproductive Performance of Growing Ram Lambs Under Hot Climate Condition.. Journal of Animal and Poultry Production, 2018; 9(1): 9-15. doi: 10.21608/jappmu.2018.35742
Effect of Rocket Oil Addition on Productive and Reproductive Performance of Growing Ram Lambs Under Hot Climate Condition.
1Animal Production Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Dokki, Giza, Egypt
2Animal Production Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Dokki, Giza, Egypt.
Abstract
Twenty-four crossbred ram lambs (1/2 Finnish Landrace ×1/2 Rahmani) aged 3-4 months and averaged 22.25±0.93 kg live body weight were randomly divided into three treatments (8 lambs in each) according to their live body weight. The experimental period lasted 6 months from May to October 2015. Ram lambs were orally treated with 0 (control), 1 (T1) and 2 (T2) mg rocket oil (RO)/kg LBW. Growth performance, puberty and semen characteristics of ram lambs, some blood parameters and economic efficiency were estimated. The results showed that final LBW of ram lambs at puberty increased (P>0.05) in T2 and T1 as compared to control. Total weight gain increase (P>0.05) in T2 compared with control (18.22 vs.16.62 kg). Average daily gain was higher (P>0.05) in T2 than in T1 and control (161.2 vs. 125.6 and 112.3 g/d). Ram lambs of T2 expressed first ejaculate (puberty) 34.6 days earlier (P<0.05) than those in control. Scrotal circumference and testes volume increased (P<0.05) in T1 and T2 compared with in control. Semen quality (ejaculate volume, initial motility, live spermatozoa, sperm cell concentration and sperm output) was better (P<0.05) in T2 and T1 than in control. Serum total antioxidant capacity was higher (P>0.05) in T2 than in control and T1. Relative economic feed efficiency increased for T1 and T2 lambs (111 and 137%) compared with controls. It could be conclude that daily addition of 2 mg rocket oil (watercress oil)/kg live body weight of ram lambs could lead to earlier age at puberty, improvement in growth performance at puberty, higher reproductive ability and better economic feed efficiency of ram lambs.