EFFECT OF VITAMIN E SUPPLEMENTATION ON THE PRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF RAHMANI SHEEP

The present study was conducted during the period from (September 2012 to April 2013) at the experimental farm station, belongs to Anim. Prod. Dept., Fac. of Agric., Al-Azhar Univ. Thirty pregnant Rahmani ewes with an avg. 33.7 kg LBW and 3 years old age were used to investigate the effect of vitamin E daily supplementation to pregnant ewes at late gestation and early lactation on the productive performance of treated ewes and their offsprings. Experimental animals were randomly assigned (28 days prepartum) to three nutritional groups; the 1st one served as a control (nil vitamin E supplement). The 2nd and 3rd groups were daily and individually administrated 400 IU of α-tocopherol acetate (vitamin E), 28 days prepartum (T1) and for 28 days pre and 28 days postpartum (T2). Experimental animals were offered their daily requirements during pregnancy and early lactation according to NRC recommendations (1985). Results obtained showed that; supplementing pregnant ewes with vitamin E didn’t lead to any positive influences on improving their daily milk yield or milk chemical composition, although there were significant differences among different experimental groups in daily milk yield. Ewes of T2 recorded higher (p<0.05) daily milk yield (417 g /h/d) in compare with (348 g /h/d) for the control ewes group and (292 g /h/d) for T1 ewes, respectively. Vitamin E supplementation to pregnant and lactating ewes didn’t lead to significant differences in most of daily milk yield and chemical composition traits. Although, there were significant differences among different ewes groups in fat and SNF percentages in favor of the two supplemented ewes groups. Vitamin E supplementation to pregnant and lactating ewes didn’t improve productive performance of both the two supplemented ewes groups and their progenies. Ewes of T1 group weaned more (p<0.05) kg of lambs, but without significant difference with those of the control group. Ewes of T2 weaned lower (p<0.05) kg lambs. Ewes of T2 and the control group one indicated more efficient feed utilization in compare with T1 group. Vitamin E supplementation didn’t improve (p<0.05) lambs productive performance. Although, there were significant differences among different lambs groups in lambs avg. weaning weight, daily gain and lambs feed conversion ratio. Lambs born to T2 ewes consumed (p<0.05) higher milk intake (417 g/h/d), but lower feed conversion ratio (3.06 kg MI/kg gain), while lambs born to T1 ewes consumed lower milk (292 g/h/d), but with an improved FC ratio (1.75 kg MI /kg gain). Lambs born to the control ewes group consumed (348 g/h/d), but with more efficient FC ratio (2.20 kg milk intake / kg gain) in comparison with the corresponding lambs born to T2 ewes groups. Lambs born to T1 supplemented ewes recorded higher (p<0.05) avg. weaning weight (13.73 kg/h) and faster daily weight gain (179 g/h/d), without significant difference with lambs born to the control ewes group (165 g/h/d), while lambs born to T2 supplemented ewes indicated lower weaning weight (11.40 kg /h) and slower daily weight gain (141 g/h/d).