ALLEVIATION OF HEAT STRESS IN FARAFRA SHEEP BY DIETARY MINERALS SUPPLEMENTATION

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Animal Production Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Minia University.

2 Animal Production Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center.

Abstract

ABSTRACT
Thirty five Farafra mature ewes aged 2.5 – 3.5 years and averaged 38.8 ± 0.69 kg body weight and fifteen Farafra mature rams aged 2.0-3.0 years and averaged 59.3 ± 1.30 kg body weight were used in this investigation. The experimental animals (rams and ewes) were divided into five equal groups (7 ewes + 3 rams each) as control, 1% sodium bicarbonate (G1), 1% potassium carbonate (G2), 0.5% sodium bicarbonate + 0.5% potassium carbonate (G3) and 1% sodium bicarbonate + 1% potassium carbonate (G4). Blood samples were collected from each animal every 10 days after feeding throughout the experimental period (June to August). Results indicate that dietary electrolyte insignificantly increased blood hemoglobin (Hb) while significantly (P<0.05) decreased blood hematocrit (Ht) in both rams and ewes. 
The values of glucose, total protein, sodium and potassium significantly (P<0.05) tended to increase and dietary electrolyte balance DEB values to significantly (P<0.01) increase in both rams and ewes supplemented with salts. Serum urea values were insignificantly increase while serum chloride tended to significantly (P<0.05) decrease in both rams and ewes with salts-fed animals.. Salts supplement led to insignificant increase in serum triiodothironine and thyroxin of rams and ewes. In conclusion, supplementation of some salts (sodium or potassium or both) to the diet of animals during summer (the hot season) led to alleviate heat stress in term of controlling the blood metabolites.

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