Effect of dietary lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus)‎ and roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa)‎ to saidi ewes on : (A)‎ milk production, rumen fermentation and lamb's performance

Abstract EN

The experiment was carried out to study the influence of Lemongrass and Roselle supplementation in the diet of Saidi ewes.

Twenty-eight ewes in the last month of pregnancy with an average body weight of 45 ± 2 kg were assigned to 4 treatment groups (7 ewes in each group) for 75 days (15 before parturition and 60 days after parturition) using completely randomized block design.

The treatments included : (1) control group (CON) : received a ration consisted of concentrate mixture and wheat straw as 60 : 40 % on dry matter (DM) bases ; (2) LG treatment group : the ewes were fed the control ration plus 4g dried Lemongrass / kg of concentrate mixture ; (3) RO treatment group: the ewes were fed the control ration plus 4g dried Roselle / kg of concentrate mixture ; and (4) LGRO treatment group : the ewes were fed the control ration plus 2g dried Lemongrass and 2 g dried Roselle / kg of concentrate mixture.

Milk yield was recorded biweekly and milk samples were taken to analyze its chemical composition.

Rumen liquor samples were collected to measure the pH, total volatile fatty acids (VFA’s) concentration and protozoal count.

Lambs were weighed at birth and then once a week during four weeks of the experiment period and the daily weight gain (DWG) was calculated.

Results revealed that milk efficiency as fat corrected milk (FCM) and milk yield / DM intake were not significantly affected by Lemongrass or Roselle supplementation.

Milk yield tended to increase (P > 0.05) in treated ewes.

Milk fat increased (P < 0.05) in milk of ewes fed lemongrass diet compared to those fed the other diets.

In rumen samples, the protozoal count was significantly higher due to Lemongrass and Roselle supplementation together compared to the control and LGRO diets.

Also, there was a highly significant increase in total VFA’s concentration in LGRO and RO compared to the CON group.

Also, there was a signifncant (P < 0.05) increase in milk total solids, solids not fat, protein and lactose in ewes fed lemongrass and Roselle diets compared with those fed control diet.

In addition, milk density percent was higher (P < 0.05) in milk of treated ewes compared to untreated ones, whereas minerals content did not differ among groups.

Both body weight of lambs and daily gain of treated groups were not significantly affected by the experimental additives.

Finally, the findings of this study revealed that the addition of lemongrass and Roselle herbs improved milk composition and rumen fermentation patterns without any harmful effect on animal performance.