Body Weight Change, Milk Production and Reproductive Parameters in Suckled vs. Non-suckled Awassi Ewes

Ishmais, M.A. Abu,Kridli, R.T.,Omer, S.A. Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2004 Animal Bioscience Vol.17 No.9

The objective of this study was to identify the effect of early weaning on body weight change, milk production and the return to estrus in Awassi ewes. Twenty multiparous winter-lambing Awassi ewes were randomly assigned to either suckled (S, n=10) or non-suckled (NS, n=10) groups in a completely randomized design. Lambs in the NS group were removed from their dams on day 2 postpartum (PP). Animal body weights (BW) and body condition scores (BCS) were recorded at the beginning of the study and every 3 weeks thereafter until the end of the experiment. Milk production was estimated by machine milking at weekly intervals for 4 weeks beginning on d 11 PP. Blood samples were collected from each ewe every third day for 4 weeks beginning on day 15 PP. Initial body weight was similar for both treatments. By the end of the experiment, NS ewes gained an average of 1.8${\pm}$1.0 kg while S ewes lost an average of 7.0${\pm}$1.0 kg (p<0.001). Body condition scores followed a trend similar to that observed for BW and was greater (p<0.001) in the NS ewes. Significant correlation existed (p<0.01) between BW and BCS (r=0.77). The first milk production recording for both suckled and non-suckled was similar. Later recordings, however, showed that the S group had greater milk production (p<0.01) compared with the NS group. Lambs in the NS group were heavier (p<0.05) than those in the S group on d 10 PP. By the end of the study, lamb weights in the NS group were significantly lower (p<0.001) when compared with S group. The first rise in plasma progesterone ($P_{4}$) occurred earlier (p<0.05) in the NS than S ewes (day 27.0${\pm}$2.2 vs. 34.0${\pm}$2.2 postpartum, respectively). All of the NS ewes (10/10) and 60% (6/10) of the S ewes expressed estrus following ram introduction (p<0.05). Results of the current study indicate that non-suckled ewes gained more weight and displayed ovarian activity earlier than suckled ewes. Early lamb removal can be used to obtain biannual lambing in Awassi sheep.

Performance of Nursing Awassi Ewes Fed Different Levels of Bread By-product

Obeidat, B.S.,Haddad, S.G.,Titi, H.H.,Abu Ishmais, M.A.,Telfah, B.T. Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2012 Animal Bioscience Vol.25 No.8

Objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effect of partial substitution of barley grain with bread by-product (BB) on performance of Awassi ewes and their lambs. Forty Awassi ewes rearing single lambs were randomly allotted into four experimental diets containing various levels of BB. The experimental diets contained 0 (BB0), 10 (BB10), 15 (BB15), and 20% (BB20) of BB on dietary dry matter (DM). The study lasted for eight weeks, in which the first week was used as an adaptation period and seven weeks of data collection. Ewes and their lambs were penned individually where they were fed their lactating diets ad libitum. Ewes and lambs body weights were measured at the beginning and at the end of the experiment. However, milk production and composition were evaluated biweekly. Feeding BB had no effect (p>0.05) on dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), and crude protein (CP) intakes. However, neutral detergent fiber (NDF) intake was the lowest (p<0.05) for the BB20 and BB15 diets followed to BB10 diet (i.e., 640, 677, 772 g/d, respectively) while the highest NDF intake was for the BB0 diet (i.e., 825 g/d). Similarly, NDF intake decreased linearly (p<0.001) as the BB content increased. Acid detergent fiber (ADF) intake was highest (p<0.05) for the BB0 and BB10 diets (425 and 416 g/d, respectively) followed by the BB15 and BB20 diets (359 and 342 g/d, respectively). Moreover, a linear (p<0.001), quadratic (p = 0.04), and cubic (p = 0.04) effects were observed in ADF intake among diets. Nutrient digestibility was similar among different diets. Bread by-product had no effect (p>0.05) on ewes body weight change and on lamb performance (i.e., weaning body weight and average daily gain). Similarly, no differences (p>0.05) were observed either in milk production or composition by the BB substitution. Inclusion of BB reduced feed cost by 9, 14, and 18% for the BB10, BB15, and BB20 diets, respectively. No differences were observed in milk efficiency (DM intake: milk production; p>0.05) among diets. However, cost of milk production ($US/kg milk) was the lowest (p<0.05) in the diet containing BB20. Results of the present study indicate that feeding bread by-product up to 20% of the diet DM had no effect on performance of Awassi ewes and their lambs and reduced feed cost.

Effects of Strain on Performance, and Age at Slaughter and Duration of Post-chilling Aging on Meat Quality Traits of Broiler

Abdullah, Abdullah Y.,Muwalla, Marwan M.,Maharmeh, Haitham O.,Matarneh, Sulaiman K.,Ishmais, Majdi A. Abu Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2010 Animal Bioscience Vol.23 No.12

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of strain on broiler performance, and age at slaughter and postchilling (PC) aging time on meat quality traits. A total of 500 one-day-old chicks (250 Hubbard classic and 250 Lohman) were reared under commercial conditions. Half of the broiler birds from each strain were slaughtered at 32 days and the other half at 42 days old. At each processing day, 168 carcasses were randomly selected (84 Hubbard and 84 Lohman) and divided into groups of 28 carcasses within each strain, and aged for 0, 4 and 24 h after chilling. Average weekly body weight was comparable between strains. Feed conversion ratio was higher (p<0.05) for the Hubbard strain during the second and third week of age. Initial carcass pH was significantly (p<0.05) affected by age where younger birds (32-d-old) had lower pH values than older (41-d-old) birds. Breast temperature was higher (p<0.001) for Lohman than Hubbard at 0, 2 and 4 h of PC. Younger birds had a lower breast temperature (p<0.001) at all measured times of PC. Thaw loss, cook loss and water holding capacity were not significantly affected by strain, age or aging time. Lohman strain had more tender meat (p<0.05) than Hubbard strain, and tenderness was improved with the increase of broiler age and aging time. Meats from Hubbard were lighter and less red than those from Lohman strain where younger birds had darker color. In conclusion, strain, age at slaughter and PC aging duration are critical to breast meat quality characteristics, and 4 h of aging are required before deboning in order to obtain more tender fillets.

Growth Performance, Carcass and Meat Characteristics of Black Goat Kids Fed Sesame Hulls and Prosopis juliflora Pods

Abdullah, Abdullah Y.,Obeidat, Belal S.,Muwalla, Marwan M.,Matarneh, Sulaiman K.,Ishmais, Majdi A. Abu Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2011 Animal Bioscience Vol.24 No.9

Finding alternative feeds, such as sesame hulls and Prosopis juliflora species can attenuate difficulties of feed shortage and reduce the cost of animal feed in arid and semi-arid countries. Thirty-two Black male kids with similar initial weights (BW = $16.7{\pm}0.80\;kg$) and $120{\pm}5\;d$ of age, were used to evaluate the effect of replacing barley grains and soybean meal with Prosopis juliflora pods (PJP) and sesame hulls (SH) on growth performance, digestibility and carcass and meat characteristics. Kids were equally divided into four dietary treatment groups for an 84-d fattening period. Treatment diets had similar crude protein (CP) and metabolizable energy (ME). The treatment groups were: (T1) no PJP nor SH, (T2) 10% PJP and 20% SH, (T3) 15% PJP and 15% SH, and (T4) 20% PJP and 10% SH. A tendency was detected (p<0.08) for dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), organic matter (OM) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) intakes that were greater for T2 than T3 and T4 while T1 was not different from all other treatment groups. Ether extract (EE) intake was the greatest (p<0.05) for T2 and the lowest for T1. Acid detergent fiber (ADF) intake was greater (p<0.05) for T2 than T1 while T3 and T4 were intermediate. Final live weight, average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were comparable among different treatment groups. Digestibility of DM, OM, CP, NDF and ADF were similar among all treatment groups, however, EE digestibility was the lowest (p<0.05) for T1 when compared to other treatments. In addition, nitrogen intake, nitrogen in urine and retained and retention percentages were similar among all treatment groups. However, N loss in feces was higher (p<0.05) for T2 than T3 and T4 while T1 was intermediate. No differences were observed among treatment groups with respect to fasting live weight, hot and cold carcass weights, dressing-out percentages, mesenteric fat, visceral organs, carcass cuts percentages and carcass linear dimensions. No differences were also observed for dissected loin, leg, rack and shoulder tissues except in the total bone % for loin cuts and in the meat to bone ratio for rack cuts. T3 has the greatest total bone % and the lowest meat to bone ratio when compared to all other treatment groups. No differences were observed between treatment groups in all quality characteristics of the longissimus muscle. The present study demonstrates the potential of using PJP and SH for growing kids without adverse effects on growth performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality.