Lactation performance of Awassi ewes fed diets containing either Atriplex halimus L. or olive cake

Abstract

The objective of the two studies was to evaluate t effects of feeding on lactating Awassi ewes (study 1) and lambs (study 2), fed on a diet of Atriplex halimus L. (ATR) or olive cake (OC), as a foraging source substitute for wheat straw. In study 1, 33 newly lambed ewes and their lambs were randomly assigned one of three diets: The control diet (CON), 250 g/kg of OC, or 250 g/kg of ATR dry matter (DM). Ewes and lambs were housed in individual pens. Ewes fed CON diet had greater DM, neutral detergent fibre, and acid detergent fibre intakes than OC and ATR groups. Ether extract (EE) intake was greater (p < .0001) in OC diet compared to CON and ATR diets. Milk yield was similar (p ¼ .99) among treatments. Content of milk total solids and fat were greater in ATR diet than CON and OC diets. Milk production cost was lower in the OC and ATR compared to the CON group. In study 2, 18 ewe lambs were assigned the same diets used in study 1 to evaluate the effects of OC and ATR on nutrient digestibility and N balance. Dry matter digestibility was greater in ATR compared to CON and OC groups. The digestibility of EE was greater in the OC group than in CON and ATR groups. Results showed that the inclusion of OC and ATR did not negatively impact lactation performance. Additionally, results proved the economic value of using such products, as they reduced the cost of milk production. HIGHLIGHTS Olive cake and Atriplex halimus L. were fed to Awassi ewes at a level of 250 g/kg of dietary DM. The inclusion of olive cake and A. halimus L. at 250 g/kg of dietary DM, as a source of fibre, did not negatively impact the lactation performance of sheep. Additionally, results proved the economic value of using such products, as they reduced the cost of milk production.

Feeding of faba beans (Vicia faba L.) enhances the growth performance of lambs

“…The cost of gain decreased with the FB200 diet compared to the CON diet, which may be due to the lower price of FB compared with the cost of barley grains and soybean meal during the study period. Many studies dealing with alternative feeds from plant or agro-industrial by-products, such as sweet lupin [ 21 , 22 ], olive cake [ 23 ], black cumin meal [ 3 ], and olive cake and Atriplex halimus L. [ 2 ], obtained similar results by providing diets that were more economically feasible and beneficial to livestock production.…”

“…Furthermore, the lack of pastures in arid and semi-arid areas is challenging for livestock producers, especially sheep farmers. The high prices of feed ingredients (e.g., barley, wheat, and soybeans) forced livestock keepers and researchers to search for high-quality alternative feed materials that are less expensive [ 2 , 3 ].…”

The Performance and Carcass Characteristics of Black Baladi Kids Fed Diets with Graded Quantities of Sweet Lupin Grain (Lupinus angustifolius)

“…This may be because the price of LUP was lower than the cost of barley grains and soybean meals during the study time. Similarly, many research studies dealt with alternative feeds from plant or agro-industrial by-products, such as sweet lupin [10,11], olive cake [31], olive cake, and Atriplex halimus L. [7] obtained the same results, which provided diets that were more economically feasible and beneficial to livestock production.…”

“…At the same time, the governments greatly reduced subsidies to farmers with cheap feed, which reduced the profits of these farmers [6]. Therefore, the best solution to the problem of the scarcity and high cost of feeds is the use of alternative feeds [5,7]. The use of alternative feeds is beneficial to reduce the cost of feed and is also useful in reducing contamination of agricultural wastes [8].…”

Olive Cake in Livestock Nutrition

“…The addition of OC at 32.3% attenuated the voluntary intake of feed by lamb, as the intake was higher among the control group compared to the OC group (Vera et al, 2013). (Aljamal et al, 2021) reported that DM intake decreased when lactating Awassi ewes were fed OC at 25% compared with ewes fed the control diet. Similar results were reported when high levels of OC were fed to ewes (up to 49% of the diet) (Abbeddou et al, 2011;Beken and Sahin, 2011;Cabiddu et al, 2004;Sadeghi et al, 2009).…”