Effect of Broccoli Steam and Leaves on Sheep Performance and Milk Production

Abstract

This research was conducted at the research field belongs to Animal Resources department, College of Agriculture, Salahuddin, in order to evaluate the effects of adding different amount of broccoli waste to the ration in diets for lactating ewes. The studied traits included the body weight gain, daily milk production and milk composition. The groups (treatments) were control (without Broccoli wastes), T1 (250 g and 750 g of Broccoli wastes were added in the first and second months respectively) and T2 (500 g and 1000 g of Broccoli wastes were added in the first and second months respectively). SAS programme used to analyze the collected data, and correlation coefficients among studied traits were also estimated.

The effect of adding Broccoli wastes levels on body weight gain and average daily milk production showed significant differences among all treatments with an average 3.583 kg and 827.84 g respectively. Body weight gain of ewes having T1 was significantly higher than the other groups. The ewes fed on T1 surpassed those fed on T2 and control groups in the percentages of fat and solid non-fat of their milk, while the differences in protein and lactose percentages were not significant due to different treatments. All traits of milk composition yield were registered significantly higher in T2 comparing with those registered in both groups T1 and control.

The lowest value (-0.47) of correlation was calculated between ADMP and lactose % and was not significant, while the highest correlation (0.81) registered between lactose and solid non-fat percentages.