الفهرس 
Animal performanceOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
 |  | from | 158 |  |  |
| | | from | 158 | | |
Abstract
The present work was carried out at Sakha Animal Production Station, Animal Production Research Institute, Agricultural Research center, Ministry of Agriculture, during the period from January 2003 to January 2004. The main objective of this study was to determine the influence incorporation of different kinds of silage on growth performance and puberty of ram lambs from weaning to puberty (Experiment 1) and on semen quality and sexual desire of mature rams (Experiment 2).Twenty onecrossbreed rams (3/8 Finnish Landrace x 5/8 Rahmani) aging 23 years with an average live body weight of 677.2 kg were divided into three similar groups according to their body weight and age (7 animals in each group). Rams in all groups were fed on the same diets used in experiment (1). Amount of DM of daily fered diets to all groups was 3% of LBW. Roughages to concentrate ratio was 60:40%. The experimental feeding period lasted for one month as a preliminary period (exhaustion period) and four months as a main collection period of semen. During the experimental period, semen was collected from all the experimental animals at weekly intervals. Semen volume was measured and semen characteristics were evaluated. During two weeks of the main collection period of semen, the collected semen from rams was extended, frozen and preserved for using in fertilization test on ewes. The results obtained are summarized as follows: Experiment (1): Total protein concentration was significantly (P<0.05) higher in BS (8.22) than BH (5.59) and SBTS (5.97) groups. It showed gradual increase by advancing months, being significantly the highest (7.10) at the 7th month and the lowest (6.08) the 1st month of collection in all groups. Concentration of albumin significantly increased in BS group (5.40) than those in BH (3.33) and STBS (3.41) groups. There was a tendency of increase in albumin concentration by advancing collection months, being the highest (5.40) at the last month of collection (The 8th month).Concentration of globulin was significantly higher in BS group than those in BH and SBTS (2.26 2.38) groups. Globulin concentration ranged between 2.26 and 2.71 mg/dl during all collection months. Experiment (2): Average LBW of rams did not differ significantly as affected by dietary group or collection month, ranging between 71.9 and 74.1. Concentrations of total protein, albumin and globulin were significantly higher in BS and SBTS groups (6.20 and 6.52) than in BH group (9.92). Concentration of glucose significantly (P<0.05) decreased in SBTS group (49.02), but did not differ significantly in BS group (54.27) from the control group (55.25). Concentration of T3 significantly (P<0.05) decreased in BS group (87.80) and insignificantly reduced in SBTS group (107.83) as compared to BH group (119.32). The difference between BS and SBTS groups was not significant. Based on the obtained results, it could be concluded that feeding ram lambs on ration containing BS (as a forage) had beneficial effects on their semen quality without marked change in their productive performance (Experiment 1). However, feeding adult rams on ration containing SBTS as a type of forage showed marked improvement in sexual behaviour and semen quality as a compared to BS or BH.