Vol.1, No.2, 24-32 (2011) Open Journal of Animal Sciences

doi:10.4236/ojas.2011.12004

Copyright © 2011 SciRes. Openly accessible at http://www.scirp.org/journal/OJAS/

Productive performance and blood metabolıtes as

affected by protected protein in sheep

  1. A. Abdel-Ghani1, G. M. A. Solouma2, A. K. I. Abd Elmoty1, A. Y. Kassab2, E. B. Soliman1

1Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Minia University, Minia City, Egypt;

2Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt; profdradel@yahoo.com

Received 19 April 2011, revised 5 May 2011, accepted 16 June 2011.

ABSTRACT

This investigation included two experiments.

Experiment 1 was executed to study the effect

of feeding different rations of protected protein

of canola meal on digestibility and nutritive values

within sheep. Twenty male, healthy sheep

were divided into five treatments according to

the methods of protein protection (control, heat,

sodium hydroxide, formaldehyde, and acetic

acid treatments). Experiment 2 was carried out

on developing lambs to investigate the effect of

protected protein on growth performance and

some blood metabolites. Animals in this experiment

were also divided into the same

treatments as Experiment 1. Animals in the first

and second experiment were fed concentrate

ration (80%) and wheat straw (20%) to cover the

feed requirements. Nutritive values expressed

as total digestible nutrients (TDN%) and digestible

crude protein (DCP%) of the experimental

rations was calculated. In the second

experimental all animals were weighed biweekly

and the amounts of rations were adjusted

throughout the experimental period (120 days)

according to their body weight change.

Results indicated that in the first experimental

protected protein by heat (HE) and sodium hydroxide

(NH) had positive (P < 0.05) effects on

most of digestibility coefficients of different nutrients.

Protein protection methods also improved

(P < 0.05) the nutritive values (TDN and

DCP) in the HE treatment and NH treatment. In

the second experiment body weight increased

by 14% and 7% and also daily gain by 27%

and14% in HE and NH, respectively, while FM

and AC decreased body weight by 8% and 4.4%.

Higher values (P < 0.01) in both thyroid hormones

were observed in HE and NH than those

other treatments. Also, higher values (P < 0.01)

of total protein, albumin, and glucose were observed

in HE and NH than other treatments. The

control (CTL) group recorded higher concentrations

of urea-N and creatinine at different periods

of the experiment in comparison with other

treatments. Generally, from the present investigation

it can be concluded that protected protein

of canola meal by heat or sodium hydroxide

treatments were more efficient for productive

performance and some blood metabolites of

sheep.

Keywords: Protected Protein; Performance; Blood Metabolites; Sheep