الفهرس 
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Abstract
The present study was carried out at the Experimental Station and Laboratories of Animal Production Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Fayoum University, Egypt.
Four medicinal plants by-products in diets were nutritionally evaluated through digestibility trials and productive performance of lactating buffaloes. Seven Lactating buffaloes weighed 530±10 kg in average at the 3rd to 5th parity of lactation were used. Feeding trials were initiated at 45±3 days post partum, where each buffalo was served as it’s own control and the experimental diets were fed in successive durations. The treatments were D1, (control) composed of 50% concentrate mixture (CM)+25% clover hay (CH)+25% wheat straw (WS); Dz, 50% CM+18.75% CH+18.75% WS+ 12.5% medicinal plants by-products; D3, 50% CM+ 12.5% CH+ 12.5% WS+25% medicinal plants by-products and D4, 50% CM+ 50% medicinal plants by-products. Such medicinal plants by-products tested were (Foeniculum vulgre, Cymbopogon Citratus, Carum carvi, Mentha piperita), respectively when they were evaluated individually.
The results revealed that buffaloes fed diets containing medicinal plants by-products showed better (P:::;0.05) digestibility coefficients and feeding values compared with control diet. Also, buffaloes when fed Dz, D3 and D4 showed the highest milk yield and its components followed by the control one. from economical point of view, the medicinal plants by¬products containing diets reduced feeding costs needed to produce 1 kg milk (4% FCM) especially that contained 50% medicinal plants by¬products (D4) and 25% medicinal plants by-products (D3).
It could be concluded that medicinal plants by-products tested can safely and economically replace up to 100% of both clover hay and wheat straw in diets of lactating buffaloes.
Keywords: Medicinal plants by-products, Buffaloes, Digestibility, Feeding values, Feed intake, Milk yield and its components.