Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• Alireza Karampour ¹
• Farokh Kafilzadeh ²

¹ Ph.D. Student, Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Razi University, Kermanshah - Iran

² Professor, Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the effects of addition of the pomegranate seed oil (PSO) in the diet on growth performance, diet digestibility and rumen fermentation parameters of fattening lambs. Twenty one Sanjabi lambs, with average body weight of 27.5±2.6 kg and 3 months of age, were used in a completely randomized design with 3 treatments and 7 replicates.The experimental treatments included diet free of PSO (control diet), and diets containing 2 and 4% of PSO. Daily feed intake, diet digestibility and rumen fermentation parameters were measured by standard methods. The lambs were weighed at the beginning and the end of the finishing period for estimation of average daily gain (ADG). The DMI in the lambs fed on the diets containing PSO was higher than that of control (P<0.05). There was no differences along treatments concerning ADG, although, in lambs receiving PSO thetrend was to be increased. Dry matter and organic matter digestibility in the lambs fed on 4% PSO were higher than those of the other groups (P<0.05). Concentrations of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) were not affected except valeric acid, however, incorporation of 4% PSO to the diet increased molar percentage of propionic acid and decreased acetate to propionate ratio, significantly. Ammonia nitrogen concentration was not affected by adding PSO to diet. The results of this experiment suggest that pomegranate seed oil has potential to improve the digestibility and ruminal fermentation efficiency of the diet of fattening lambs.

Keywords

• Fattening lamb
• Feed intake
• Growth
• Pomegranate seed oil
• Rumen fermentation parameters

20.1001.1.20096776.1395.18.3.9.2