Feeding effects of fenugreek seeds on intake, milk yield, chemical composition of milk and some biochemical parameters in Hamdani ewes

Abstract EN

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of feeding fenugreek seeds on dry matter intake, milk yield, chemical composition of milk and some biochemical parameters: total protein (T.P), glucose (G), cholesterol (Ch), triglyceride (T.G), protein albumin, globulin, urea, and liver enzymes AST, ALT in the blood serum in hamdani ewes.

Twelve lactating ewes were selected randomly from private sheep flock (similar in the body weight and ages), and were divided into three equal groups in Grdarasha in Erbil, from 15 Jun to 1 September 2014.

The crushed fenugreek seed was used as feed additives and added to basal ration at level 0.6 and 1.2g/kg live body weight for treatment one (T1) and treatment two (T2) respectively, while the control group (C) was left on basal ration only.

Ewes were fed in groups on basal ration as 3% of live weight and according to developing of body weight during the study.

(Results): showed that daily feed intake, daily milk yield, milk protein percentage and solid non-fat increased significantly (p<0.05), while percentage of milk fat and milk lactose were significantly decreased as fenugreek seed was added to basal ration at level 0.6 and 1.2g/kg live body weight as compared to control group, but the results of blood analysis showed that the treatment did not have any significant effect on blood parameters.

The experiment showed that feeding of fenugreek increased feed intake and milk yield compared to non-feeding fenugreek seeds in Hamdani ewes