Effect of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Supplementation on Reproductive Performance and Ruminal Digestibility of Queue Fine de l’Ouest Adult Rams Fed a Wheat Straw-Based Diet

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the effect of supplementing a wheat straw-based diet with Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S.C.) on feed intake, nutrient digestibility, nitrogen balance, body weight and reproduction performance. The experiment was conducted on 14 Queue Fine de l’Ouest rams between 3 and 4 years of age (body weight (B.W.): 54.7 ± 2.03 kg; body condition score (B.C.S.): 3.5 ± 0.5), for 80 days during the breeding season. The rams were divided into two homogenous groups (n = 7), housed individually in floor pens, and allocated to two dietary treatments. The control group was offered a basal diet of 1 kg/d of wheat straw and 700 g of concentrate. The experimental group (yeast) received the same basal diet supplemented with 10 g of S.C./head/day. The results indicated that the S.C. supplementation had no significant effect on the animal’s body weight, volume and concentration of semen, dry matter intake, crude protein digestibility and nitrogen balance. Compared to the control group, the S.C. addition improved (p < 0.05) the digestibility of dry matter by 7.3%, organic matter by 11.9% and crude fiber by 24%. In addition, the mass motility score increased for the yeast group compared to the control (3.7 ± 0.24 vs. 1.9 ± 0.27, p < 0.05). The total number of dead and abnormal spermatozoa decreased for the yeast group in contrast to the control group (9.28 ± 0.95 vs. 26.8 ± 3.85% and 25.5 ± 3.33 vs. 59.2 ± 2.78%, respectively; p < 0.05). These results showed that adding S.C. to Queue Fine de l’Ouest ram’s diet during breeding season could improve nutrient digestibility and reproductive performance.

Oral supplementation with Scabiosa artropurperea L. aqueous extract improves the in vivo sexual behaviour, sperm quality and androgen level in rams

“…Sperm was collected with an artificial vagina (2 × 2 days/week) as described by Ben Saïd et al. (2022). During the collection, the ram was located individually in the collection room in the presence of a teaser ewe that was previously induced into estrus (Baril, 1993).…”

Animal Nutrition and Productions

“…The first addresses the interesting topic of the effect of supplementation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae on the reproductive performance of rams fed a wheat-straw-based ration. The experiment led by Ben Saïd S. et al [10] comprised 14 Queue Fine de l'Ouest rams aged between 3 and 4 years with an average body weight of 54.7 ± 2.03 kg and an average body condition score of 3.5 ± 0.5. The study was carried out throughout a period of 80 days, during the breeding season.…”