Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Department of Animal Nutrition Res. Agricultural Research Centre, Dokki, Giza, Egypt.
2
Department of Buffalo Res. Agricultural Research Centre, Dokki, Giza, Egypt.
3
By-product utilization Animal Production Research Institute, Agricultural Research Centre, Dokki, Giza, Egypt.
Abstract
The present work was conducted to study the effect of using two levels of dry fat (DF 3 and 5%) supplementation during pre-partum (three months before parturition) and after parturition period (six months after postpartum for Egyptian lactating buffalo-cows on nutritive values, nutrients digestibility, ruminal characteristics, milk yield and its composition, birth weight of their offspring, some reproductive parameters, some blood parameters and economic efficiency. Fifteen buffalo-cows (2-4 lactation seasons) in late pregnancy period were choosed to carry out this experiment. Animals were divided into three equal groups (5 buffaloes in each) and individually fed according to Kearl (1982). Concentrate feed mixture (CFM), berseem hay (BH) and rice straw (RS) were given to animals as a control ration without supplementation (C), while the other two groups received the control ration supplemented with DFat the levels of 3 and 5% dry protected fat as calcium salt of fatty acids (based on DM intake), respectively. The obtained results could be summarized as follows: Supplementing buffalo cows ration DF improved the digestibility of all nutrients (pre and post-partum) and nutritive value which recording: 55.91, 61.37 and 66.87%, TDN at 50 days and 58.40, 64.10 and 70.71%, TDN at 180 days for C, DF3 and DF5, respectively; the respective values of DCP was 7.16, 7.47 and 8.04% for the pre-partum period and 7.32, 7.72 and 8.39% for the post-partum period), respectively. Dry fat treatment led to increases in both birth, weaning weights and total gain of calves, and the highest best weights were occurred with DF5. Actual milk yield was increased as 8.50, 9.30 and 10.50 kg/day for C, DF3 and DF5, respectively and 7% - FCM yield on the same order were 7.92, 9.81 and 12.44 kg/day, with significant differences only due to the addition of DF3 and DF5 compared with C. Dry fat improved the blood contents of, total protein, globulin, and glucose and increased in total lipids, cholesterol and HDL. The periods required for fetal membrane expulsion was significantly (P<0.05) reduced in DF3(9.20 h) and DF5(7.15 h) groups when compared to the C group (10.12 h).Moreover, only C group showed a case of abortion and stillbirth, while treated buffalo - cows of DF delivered 100% healthy calves. Better feed and economic efficiencies were observed with animals fed supplemented DF5. Generally, from the obtained results could be concluded that the supplementation of DF at DF3 and DF5 levels for ration of Egyptian lactating buffalo cows had positive effects on nutritive value, digestibility calves birth weight and milk yield and composition, beside better feed efficiency and reproductive performance as well as improved economic efficiency. The best and the highest results were obtained with the addition of DF5.
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