تقييم تأثير نسب مختلفة من نواتج تقليم الزيتون في علائق تغذية ذكور أغنام العواس

Abstract EN

This study aims to evaluate the use of the olive tree pruning by- Products (leaves and twigs) as an alternative for barley straw in the diets of Awassi sheep males.

The study was carried out at the Agricultural Research Center in Salameih (Hama.

Syria), during the period between 15/6 to 19/8/2011.

Three balanced diets with energy and protein content, that contained different ratios of olive tree pruning by-products (20, 30 and 40%) of the total diet ingredients, were compared with the control diet, which contains barley straw (20%) of the mixture were tested.

The four diets were used to feed 24 heads of Awassi sheep males (which were randomly and equally di^ributed into four groups) with an average age of six months and an average weight of 43.05 ± 2.2 kg.

The daily growth rate was significantly higher in the control and first group (20% of pruning byproducts) (239.68 and 222.86 g/head/day respectively) without significant differences between them, followed with significant differences by the second and third groups (30 and 40% pruning byproducts) (189.15 and 184.13 g/head/day respectively).The feed conversion rate ranged between 8.05 and 11.3 kg dry matter /Kg weight gain, while no significant differences (p <0.05) between the control and the first group were noticed.

On the contrary, significant differences between the control and the second and third group was noticed.

The dige^ion coefficient of dry matter ranged between 57.1% and 63.68% with significant differences among the four studied groups.

It can be concluded from the study that 20% of olive tree pruning by- products might be used to feed Awassi sheep by herders.