Journal of Crop Production and Processing

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This study was carried out to compare the effects of ewe milk with commercial milk replacer and starter diet with different levels of concentrate on microbial protein synthesis, ruminal fermentation and blood metabolites in the suckling lambs. Thirty Dalagh breed male lambs were separated from their mothers on 3±1 days of age and divided into 6 groups (5 lambs per treatment), and reared in individual cages. Lambs were fed with 6 treatment diets for 90 days age. Treatment diets consisted of 2 fluid feed (ewe milk and milk replacer) and 3 starter diets, 1: 100% concentrate, 2: 67% concentrate and 33% alfalfa hay and 3: 33% concentrate and 67% alfalfa hay. Data were analyzed as a completely randomized design according to 3×2 factorial method. Average of rumen fluid pH, total volatile fatty acids (TVFA), ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), beta hydroxyl butyrate (BHBA), urinary purine derivative excretion (PD), microbial purines (MPD) and microbial nitrogen supply (MN) in lambs fed with ewe milk and milk replacer did not show any significant differences (P>0.05). Average of pH, TVFA (P<0.01), BHBA and MPD, MN were significantly different and higher on lambs fed with starter diet of 100% concentrate than other starter diets (P<0.05). Feeding suckling lambs with all the 3 starter diets affected PD and allantoin to creatinine ratio (P<0.05). This experiment demonstrated that lambs could be reared with milk replacer, without any efeect on microbial protein synthesis, rumen and blood metabolites. Feeding starter diet containing high concentrate to suckling lambs increased microbial protein synthesis and improved rumen and blood metabolites.

Keywords: Milk replacer, Starter diet, Suckling lambs, Microbial protein synthesis, Fermentative metabolites.

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