The effects of feeding pomegranate seed pulp (PSP) on milk yield, milk composition, fatty acid profiles of milk fat, and blood metabolites were examined in this study. During a pretrial period, 27 multiparous southern Khorasan (Iran) cross-bred goats were fed a similar diet and dry matter intake, milk yield, and milk composition were recorded. After adaptation and based on pretrial records, the goats were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 experimental diets and were housed in individual stalls. Experimental diets included 0, 6, or 12% of PSP (dry matter basis) and were fed as total mixed rations ad libitum for a 45-d period. Diets were formulated to be isonitrogenous and isocaloric. Supplementation of PSP did not affect dry matter intake or average daily gain of goats. Milk yield was not affected by inclusion of PSP in the diet. Milk fat concentration of goats fed diets with 6 and 12% PSP increased, but milk fat yield, milk protein concentration, and milk solids-not-fat concentration of goats were not affected by diets. Feeding PSP did not affect blood glucose, cholesterol, urea N, triglyceride, or lipoproteins. Feeding goats a diet containing 12% PSP modified the milk fatty acid profile, including conjugated linoleic, punicic, and vaccenic acids.

No abstract

The objective of this experiment was to investigate the effects on performance, weaning age and rumen fermentation characteristics in Holstein calves when fennel powder was added to their starter diets. Thirty Holstein calves with a mean birth weight 40 kg (SD = 0.5) were allocated randomly to one of the following experimental diets: (i) control (starter diet without fennel powder), (ii) starter diet containing 0.4% of fennel powder and (iii) starter diet containing 0.8% of fennel powder (DM basis). The effect of treatments on mean dry matter intake was significant (p < 0.05) in the post-weaning and total experimental periods. Average daily weight gain before (0.38, 0.49 and 0.47 kg/day) and after (0.6, 1.01 and 0.83 kg/day) weaning and during the entire study (0.45, 0.7 and 0.58 kg/day) was influenced by diets of 1, 2 and 3, respectively (p < 0.05). Maximum daily weight gain and the best feed conversion ratio were achieved with 0.4% fennel powder. Mean weaning age of the calves supplemented with fennel powder was lower (p < 0.05) than that of the control group. Ruminal fluid pH in calves offered starter containing 0.8% fennel powder was lower (p < 0.05) compared to calves fed the other diets. Ammonia nitrogen content increased (p < 0.05) in the third week of feeding fennel powder. The mean concentration of total short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) and propionate molar percentage in the ruminal fluid of the calves fed with the fennel powder were higher (p < 0.05) at 6 weeks and 2 weeks after weaning than control group; however, acetate-to-propionate molar ratio was lower (p < 0.05). The results showed that adding 0.4% fennel powder to the starter increased the propionate molar percentage in the rumen and improved the calf performance, allowing the calves to be weaned at an earlier age.

No abstract

No abstract