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The main objectives of this work were to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with Artemisia absinthium, Rosemarinus officinalis and Pimpinella anisum at levels of 3 and 6 g/100kg BW/daily on productive performance and economical efficiency. Milk yield and its composition were also studied. Additionally, the effect of these dietary treatments on the blood profile was examined. The obtained results indicated better effects of the tested herbs (particularly Artemisia absinthium at 6 g/100 kg BW/day) on daily feed intake, some hematological and biochemical parameters, overall mean of daily milk yield, milk fat %, feed conversion, live body weight of does, live body weight at birth and weaning, mortality rate of kids, kilograms produced per doe, and economic efficiency. Generally, the positive effects of the tested medical herbs are due to their active substances.

Our objective was to evaluate life-cycle performance of flocks of two Egyptian breeds, Rahmani (R) and Ossimi (O), and their crosses with Finnish Landrace (F) in two management systems. Management systems were one mating season per year (1M) and three mating seasons per 2 yr (3M). Breeds and crosses studied included purebred R and O, F1 crosses 1/2F-1/2R (FR) and 1/2F-1/2O (FO), and inter se matings of 1/4 F-3/4 R (RFR) and 1/4 F-3/4 O (OFO). A dynamic computer model was used to simulate animal performance and enterprise efficiency and profit. Two measures of lifecycle feed conversion (biological efficiency) were computed: kilograms of TDN input per kilograms of empty body weight output (TDN/EBW) and kilograms of TDN input per kilogram of carcass lean output (TDN/CLN). Profit was measured as gross margin (income minus variable costs per ewe per year, GM/EWE). Input parameters for the model were obtained from published results and analyses of data collected from experimental flocks of the same genetic stocks in Egypt. Profit for FR and RFR was 42 and 6% higher in 1M than in 3M. However, profit for all other genetic types was 4 to 8% greater in 3M than in 1M. Breed rankings changed depending on the measure of evaluation (i.e., biological efficiency or profit). Maximization of system output did not necessarily improve efficiency. Under accelerated lambing systems, greater overhead costs associated with labor and feed offset gains in ewe productivity. Genetic stocks should be matched to resources and management systems.

Objectives for this study were to estimate relative economic weights for performance traits for two native and two composite sheep breeds under two management systems in Egypt. Breeds studied were Rahmani (R), Ossimi (O), 3/4R-1/4Finnish Landrace (RFR), and 3/4O-1/4Finn (OFO); OFO and RFR were composite breeds. Management systems were one mating season per year (1M) and three mating seasons per 2 yr (3M). A dynamic computer model was used to simulate animal performance and enterprise efficiency and profit. Input parameters for the model were obtained from published results and analyses of data collected from experimental flocks of the same genetic stocks in Egypt. Responses for two measures of life-cycle feed conversion and one measure of enterprise profit were evaluated. Life-cycle feed conversion was calculated as kilograms of TDN input per kilogram of empty body weight output (TDN/EBW) and kilograms of TDN input per kilogram of carcass lean output (TDN/CLN). Profit was measured as annual gross margin/ewe (GM/EWE). Traits evaluated were conception rate (CR), lambing rate (LR), mortality rate (MR), mature weight (MW), and milk production (MK). Based on responses to percentage changes in trait means, CR was most important for TDN/EBW, followed by LR and MR. For TDN/CLN, LR, MR, and CR were most important. For GM/EWE, CR was most important, followed by LR, MW, and MR. In the systems studied, there was little response to changes in MK. Based on changes in GM/EWE per genetic standard deviation change, LR was most important, followed by CR, MR, MW, and MK in all systems. Relative economic weights for O and OFO were similar, as were weights for R and RFR. Differences in economic weights between management systems for the same breed were not large enough to justify separate selection lines within breeds.

Article History

This work was carried out on male Zaraibi goats to investigate the effect of using Teosinte forage in two roughage : concentrate (R/C) ratio (40:60 and 60:40) on growth performance, feed conversion and some blood constituents as well as economical efficiency. Eighteen male Zaraibi goats were divided into three equal groups (BH-40G, T-40G and T-60G) and fed according to NRC (1981) allowances: BH-40G fed 40 berseem hay (BH) : 60 concentrate feed mixture (CFM), T-40G received 40 Teosinte : 60 CFM and T-60G nourished 60 Teosinte : 40 CFM. The data indicated that the digestibility of most nutrients of T-40G was significantly higher compared with BH-40G and T-60G. Thus, the TD*9N and DCP values were significantly better with T-40G (69.06 and 10.25, respectively) than BH-40G (65.27 and 10.05, respectively). The lowest values (P<0.05) of TDN (61.40) and DCP (8.51) were recorded with T-60G. Daily body gain (DBG) was improved with BH-40G and T-40G by 10.93 and 18.79 %, respectively compared with T-60G. Moreover, the DBG was increased by 9.68 % in T-40G than BH-40G. The feed conversion efficiency based on DM was better with T-40G followed BH-40G and lastly T-60G. The same trend was observed with feed conversion based on TDN and recorded 10.20, 9.76 and 10.50 for BH-40G, T-40G and T-60G, respectively. Using Teosinte forage in goat rations reduced feed cost/kg body weight gain from 13.93 LE in BH-40G to 11.90 and 11.72 LE in T-40G and T-60G, respectively. Therefore, the economic efficiency was higher with T-40G (1.68) and T-60G (1.71) compared with BH-40G (1.43). The economic efficiency was improved with the two Teosinte rations (T-40G and T-60G) by 17.5 and 19.6%, respectively compared with BH-40G (BH ration). Accordingly, feeding Teosinte at 40% instead of clover hay + 60 CFM level has better impact on growing kids either for growth rate or feed conversion efficiency and economic values.

The journal of Toxicology and pest control is one of the series issued twice by the Egyptian Academic Journal of Biological Sciences, and is devoted to publication of original papers related to the interaction between insects and their environment. The goal of the journal is to advance the scientific understanding of mechanisms of toxicity. Emphasis will be placed on toxic effects observed at relevant exposures, which have direct impact on safety evaluation and risk assessment. The journal therefore welcomes papers on biology ranging from molecular and cell biology, biochemistry and physiology to ecology and environment, also systematics, microbiology, toxicology, hydrobiology, radiobiology and biotechnology. www.eajbs.eg.net

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