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Forty-five weaner Chinchilla rabbits (42-d-old, average weight 619 g) randomly assigned to three equal treatments, control with no probiotic and the other two with probiotics (10 7 CFU/g concentrate) Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactococcus lactis. They were reared in individual cages and fed on ad libitum concentrate and wilted Lucerne (Medicago sativa) up to 91 d of age. Compared to control L. acidophilus improved weight gain (24.5 vs. 22.5 g/d, P < .05), whereas it was intermediate with L. lactis. Both probiotics improved the feed conversion ratio (3.91 and 3.96 vs. 4.34, P < .05) but no effect on dry matter intake (95.8 and 92.7 vs. 98.0 g). Dry matter and organic matter digestibility improved with L. acidophilus (72.8 vs. 67.0%, P < .05), whereas it was intermediate with L. lactis. Probiotics also improved (P < .05) digestibility of crude protein (82.7 vs. 74.9%) and neutral detergent fibre (41.9 vs. 29.4%). Nitrogen utilization improved with reduced faecal excretion in probioticssupplemented groups. Probiotics had non-significant effect on carcass traits and fatty acid profile (P > .05). Thus L. acidophilus supplementation enhanced digestibility and utilization of nutrients, weight gain and feed conversion ratio with no negative effect on carcass traits and fatty acid profile. ARTICLE HISTORY

Aims: To test various microbial cultures as cattle feed additives. Methods and Results: Four groups of newly born crossbred calves (average body weight 23·5 kg) were reared on green berseem and calf starter which was devoid of cereal grains. Milk was fed up to 8 weeks of age, starting with one tenths and gradually reducing to one twentieths of the body weight. One hundred millilitres of microbial feed additive or 100 g fermented feed was fed to the animals of group 2 (curd containing lactic acid bacteria at 108 cfu ml−1), group 3 (Saccharomyces cerevisiae NCDC‐49 at 106 cfu ml−1) and group 4 (Lactobacillus acidophilus‐15 at 108 cfu ml−1). Group 1 served as control. The incidence and duration of diarrhoea was lower in the animals of probiotic fed groups as compared to control group. Out of three microbial feed additives, yeast feeding showed maximum suppression of diarrhoea followed by Lactobacillus and curd. Conclusions, Significance and Impact of the Study: There was no effect of probiotic feeding on the log number of cells of lactic acid bacteria, yeast and coliform bacteria in the faeces and rumen liquor at any age. The activities of carboxymethylcellulase, xylanase, β‐glucosidase, α‐glucosidase, α‐amylase, protease, urease and pH of the rumen liquor remained unaffected by probiotic feeding at all ages tested in this experiment.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of mineral and antioxidant supplementation on growth, reproductive performance and physiological adaptability of heat-stressed Malpura ewes. The study was conducted for a period of 21 days in 21 adult Malpura ewes. The ewes were randomly divided into three groups with seven animals each viz. GI (control; n = 7), GII (heat stress; n = 7) and GIII (heat stress + mineral and antioxidant supplementation; n = 7). The animals were stall fed ad libitum with the diet consisting of 70% roughage and 30% concentrate. GI ewes were maintained under normal controlled condition in the shed, while GII and GIII ewes were subjected to heat stress by exposing them to 42 °C in the climatic chamber. The parameters studied were feed intake (FI), water intake (WI), body weight, body condition score (BCS), physiological, biochemical and endocrine responses. Heat stress significantly altered FI, water intake, BCS, respiration rate and rectal temperature in the afternoon, oestrus duration, estradiol, progesterone, Hb, PCV, plasma glucose, total protein, cortisol, T3 and T4 levels while mineral and antioxidant supplementation ameliorated this heat stress effect on the parameters studied. Further, the adverse effect of heat stress on the productive and reproductive efficiency of Malpura ewes was reduced considerably by mineral mixture and antioxidant supplementation. This is evident from the non-significant difference in BCS, oestrus duration and plasma estradiol between GI and GIII in this study. Hence, it is very pertinent to conclude from this study that mineral mixture and antioxidant supplementation were able to protect Malpura ewes against heat stress.

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