Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 --Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ilam, Ilam, Iran.
2 Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ilam, Ilam, Iran
3 Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran
Abstract
The aim of this experiment was to investigate the effect of dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD) of flushing diet around mating on plasma metabolites and hormones concentrations and reproductive performance of Kurdish ewes and sex and BW of their lambs. Eighty four Kurdish ewes with average BW of 40±5 kg, BCS of 2.75±0.25 and 2-4 years were used. Ewes were divided into two similar groups and randomly assigned to experimental diets. Experimental diets consisted of 1- cationic diet and 2- anionic diet and their DCAD were +193 and -21 mEq/kg of DM, respectively. Ewes fed experimental diets from 2 weeks before estrous synchronization till 3 weeks after mating. Estrous of ewes were synchronized by 9-d intravaginal sponge and intramuscular injection of 5 mL vetaroline at the day of sponge removal. Experimental diets had no effect on estrous response, fertility rate, lambing rate, twining rate and birth BW and sex of lambs (P>0.05). Ewes fed anionic diet had higher plasma progesterone and lower estradiol levels at the days of sponge removal and estrous than those fed cationic diet (P<0.05). Plasma concentrations of sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium did not influence by DCAD of flushing diet (P>0.05). According to these results, feeding flushing diet with different DCAD around mating had no effect on lamb sex ratio in Kurdish ewes.
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