Effect of lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) and rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) as feed additives on lambs performance [electronic resource].

Includes references.

Twenty- five growing males of Barki sheep (weighed 20.2kg and aged 3-4 months) were divided into five similar groups (5 males each). To study the effect of some medicinal plants such as lemongrass (Cymbopogon citrates, CC) and rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis, RO) as feed additives on lambs performance. The first group (G1) was fed on a concentrate feed mixture (CFM) plus rice straw, RS (control). While, groups G2 and G3 were fed as GI ration supplemented with 100 or 200 mg lemongrass /kg LBW/d respectively. Meantime, groups G4 and G5 were fed as G1 ration supplemented with 100 or 200 mg rosemary /kg LBW/d respectively. This experiment lasted for 160 days. The results indicated that dry matter intake (DMI) was not significantly different for G4 and G3 when compared with G1 (control) and significantly decreased in G5 and G2 compared with G1. The digestibility of DM, OM, CP, EE and NFE in the supplemented groups (G2, G3, G4 and G5) was not significantly different compared with G1. Regarding the digestibility of CF, it was significantly increased for G2 and G4 compared with G1 and there were no significant differences for G3 and G5 compared with G1. There were no significant differences in nutritive values as TDN, DCP and SV for among all supplemented groups compared with G1. Rumen liquor TVFA'S were not significantly different at zero time, but at 3 hrs, there were decreased with all additives compared with the control but no significant differences among all groups. At 6 hrs, were not significantly different among all groups. The ruminal NH3-N concentration were not significantly different at zero time, while at 3 hrs treated groups were lower significantly (P<0.05) compared with the control group. At 6 hrs there were significant (P<0.05) increase in G4 and G5, while decrease in G2 and G3 respectively compared with the control group. Average daily gain were significantly increased for G3 and G5 being 205 and 180g respectively compared with control group (170g). Moreover, feed conversion were decreased for G2, G3 and G5 compared with control group. Also, the daily retained LE/ h were higher for high supplementation level from lemon grass and rosemary (2.2 and 1.95 fur G3 and G5, respectively) than non-supplementation group (1.93 LE). The serum cholesterol was significantly decreased (P<0.05) by adding the additives being 54.37, 57.82 mg/dl in G5, G4, respectively compared with G1 (control) being 73.83 mg/dl. It could be concluded that using lemongrass and rosemary as feed additives in diets of growing Barki sheep with level of 200 mg/kg LBW improved the average daily gain, feed conversion, and economical efficiency.

Summary in Arabic.

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