PERFORMANCE AND SOME RUMEN AND BLOOD PARAMETERS OF BALADI COWS FED RATIONS SUPPLEMENTED WITH PRODUCTIVE CHAMOMILE FLOWERS DURING LATE PREGNANCY AND LACTATING PERIODS.

This research was conducted to evaluate effects of two levels of chamomile flowers to the rations of baladi cows on  their milk production, feed conversion and feeding values as well as some rumen and blood parameters. A total of 18 cows with average live body weight of 401.00 kg and 2-7 parities, were  used in this study. Animals were divided into three groups ( 6 in each group) and fed diets according to NRC (1988) recommendation that contained 0, 5 and 10 g chamomile / 100 kg BW / day. The animals were in the late pregnancy period and continued for 4 months after calving. In addition, 9 Zaraibi bucks were used to evaluate the feeding values of the tested rations, and some rumen liquor parameters .
The results showed that the digestion coefficients of all nutrients and feeding values were improved with increasing the level of chamomile ( 0, 5 and 10 g / 100 kg BW / day) in the rations (G₁, G₂ and G₃, respectively) and the differences were significantly in digestibility of DM, CF and CP as well as TDN and DCP %. The results of rumen parameters of Zaraibi bucks showed that pH value and ammonia-N were not significantly different among the groups. But, addition of chamomile had significantly increased total volatile fatty acids (TVFA's) concentrations at 4 hr post-feeding in rumen fluied of bucks. The highest values of protozoa count and microbial protein at 4 hr were recorded with G₃ (0.840 and 0.685, respectively) and the lowest values were recorded with G₁ ( 0.770 and 0.580, respectively).
Concerning biochemical parameters, the results indicated that most  tested constituents of blood were not significantly affected by the tested experimental rations during the late pregnancy and lactation periods. Serum globulin was increased while ALT enzyme were reduced as a result of adding chamomile especially with the high level (G₃).
Daily milk yield was increased by 5.81 and 9.42 % for G₂ ( 9.10 kg) and G₃ (9.41 kg) compared with the control ( 8.60 kg). However, milk composition was not significantly affected by both of the two levels of chamomile. But, yields of fat and protein as g/d were significantly increased ( p< 0.05) by the high chamomile level.
The feed conversion based on DM was improved by about 6.0 and 8.5 % as a result of using chamomile in G₂ and G₃, respectively compared to G₁.  A similar trend was noticed when feed efficiency was based on TDN where the best was G₃ ( 0.752 ) followed by G₂ ( 0.767) and lowest the control group ( 0.794).
Accordingly, it could be concluded that using chamomile in baladi cows rations had positive effects not only in improving milk yield, but also in improving feed utilization without any adverse effects on milk composition and blood metabolic parameters.