EFFECT OF CHROMIUM PICOLINATE SUPPLEMENTATION ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE, CARCASS TRAITS, BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS AND BLOOD CONSTITUENTS OF GROWING LAMBS UNDER THE SUMMER EGYPTIAN CONDITIONS

ABSTRACT
This study was carried out on twenty four weaned commercial male lambs of 5 months
age and 19.85 Kg body weight. The lambs were allotted at random to four groups each of 6. The
first group was served as control, while the second, third and fourth ones were fed the same diet
supplemented with chromium picolinate at doses of 50, 75 and 100 mg per kg diets,
respectively.
The results obtained for growing lambs showed that the final live body weight and
daily body gain increased significantly (P<0.05), also the feed efficiency , final margin and the
dressing percentage were improved when treated growing lambs with chromium picolinate at
doses of 50, 75, and 100 mg per kg diets. The rectal temperature, respiration rate and daily water
intake were not affected by using the previous treatments, while the feed intake , fat tail weight
and abdominal fat weight decreased significantly (P<0.05). The best results obtained for
growing lambs were in the group fed on the diet supplemented with 100 mg chromium
picolinate per kg diet.
Serum total proteins, albumin, globulin, urea-N, alkaline phosphates, AST, ALT and
creatinine were not significantly affected, while the cholesterol level and triglycerides
significantly decreased (P<0.05) in lambs treated with chromium picolinate comparing with the
control group under the summer heat stress. RBCs, Hb, MCV%, MCH%, hematocrite,
neutrophils, and Lymphocyte%, were not affected by using the same previous treatments, while
WBCs, platelets count, basophil%, and eosinophils were affected by using chromium picolinate
as supplementation on diets.