This study was conducted to compare effects of 3 physical forms of feed including mash (diet 1), pellet (diet 2) and complete feed block (CFB; diet 3) on digestion, fermentation and performance of lambs. Twenty-one lambs with an initial average body weight of 26 ± 2.5 kg and 6 ± 1.5 months of age were assigned through a completely randomized design to 3 treatments and 7 replicates. The experimental treatments had the same formulation. The results of present experiment showed that CFB significantly increased feed intake and nutrient digestibility (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference among the diets for rumen fluid pH, blood glucose, concentration of volatile fatty acids (P > 0.05), except acetic acid (P < 0.05). The rumen ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N), mixed rumen protozoa population (RPP), Entodiniums spp., Epidiniums spp., blood urea nitrogen (BUN) concentration, rumination time adjusted for dry matter (DM), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) intake, and total body weight gain of lambs in CFB diet were the highest among all diets (P < 0.05). Feed conversion ratio at days 31 to 45 and whole experimental period were better in CFB than in other diets (P < 0.05). Overall, according to the findings of the present study, among 3 physical forms of the diets, CFB had the best efficiency due to improvement of nutrient digestibility, rumen fermentation and performance of lambs. Therefore, the CFB diet offers the best result in lambs compared with mash and pellet diets.

The effect of date pits (DP) in diet of broiler chickens on performance, carcass characteristics and blood parameters was studied. A total of 192 day-old commercial broiler chickens were assigned randomly to four experimental diets containing 0, 10, 20, and 30% of DP kg⁻¹ dry matter. All diets were isonitrogenous and isocaloric, and formulated according to nutrient requirements of poultry. The birds and feed of each treatment were weighted weekly. At 6 weeks of age, bleeding from cardiac puncture performed for serum biochemical analyses. DP significantly decreased final weight, average daily gain and feed consumption (p<0.05). Additionally 20 and 30% of date fibre caused a significant increase in the feed conversion ratio. DP caused a significant decrease in thigh and increase in heart weight, as percent of dressed weight, but had no significant effect on dressed weight and kitchen carcass weight, and percentage of breast, gizzard and liver. However, there was significant difference (p0.05). Blood glucose of birds fed diet containing 20% DP was significantly more than control diet (p< 0.05), but there was no significant difference with diet containing 30% DP (p>0.05). DP could provide a cheap source of feed to birds and using 10% had no negative effects on performance, carcass characteristics and blood parameters.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of supplementing essential fatty acids (FA), during late gestation and the preweaning and early weaning periods on passive immunity, growth, health, rumen fermentation parameters, blood metabolites and behaviour of dairy calves. During the last 3 weeks of pregnancy, cattle (n 120), within parity, were randomly assigned to one of three diets with different fat supplements: (a) no supplemental fat (CON), (b) supplement rich in linoleic acid (CSO), or (c) supplement rich in EPA and DHA (CFO). Eighty-four newborn Holstein calves were randomly assigned, within the prepartum diets, to one of two calf starters: no fat supplement (FC-0) or 2 % Ca-salt of unsaturated FA (FC-2). Overall, the interaction between dam diets and calf starters did not affect calf performance or any other parameter measured. Calves born from dams fed fat (CSO or CFO) performed better than calves born from dams fed CON. Namely, calves born from dams fed fat had greater plasma concentrations of IgG (P < 0·01), better apparent efficiency of IgG absorption (P < 0·01) and average daily gain (ADG, 597 v. 558 g/d; P = 0·02), and lower rectal temperature (RT; P < 0·01). Calves fed a calf starter rich in unsaturated FA (FC-2) had greater (P ≤ 0·01) ADG, skeletal growth, feed efficiency, and weaning weight compared with FC-0-fed calves. Furthermore, calves fed FC-2 had lower RT during the pre- and post-weaning periods (P ≤ 0·04) and fewer days with diarrhoea (P < 0·001) compared with calves fed CF-0. Time spent eating, ruminating, standing, lying, and on non-nutritive oral behaviour did not differ by treatment. Similarly, treatments did not affect ruminal fermentation parameters. At 28 and 77 d of age, calves fed CF-2 had higher plasma concentrations of albumin and cholesterol (P ≤ 0·02) and lower urea N compared with calves fed CF-0. Plasma concentrations of alkaline phosphatase were higher in calves fed CF-2 compared with those fed CF-0, when they were 77 d old. These findings support feeding moderate amounts of long-chain PUFA during late uterine life or during the preweaning period have beneficial effects on calf metabolism, growth, and health performance.

The Effect of Clove and Oregano on Economic Value of Broiler Chickens Diet under Hot Weather of Khuzesta