Effect of Dietary Olive Cake on Reproductive and Physiological Traits of Native Pregnant Ewes

Document Type : Original Article

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Department of Biological Applications, Radioisotopes Applications Division, Nuclear Research Center, Atomic Energy Authority, Cairo, Egypt

Abstract

The aim of the present study is to evaluate the effect of feeding olive cake (OC) on the reproductive and physiological traits of pregnant ewes. This study was conducted on 117 pregnant ewes, 11-12 months age, with an average weight of 41.5 kg. The animals were divided into three equal groups; each group consisted of 39 ewes, given olives cake partitions representing 0, 15 and 30 % of the diet respectively. Feeding olive cake significantly (p < 0.05) increases the fertility rate and the proportion of twins, represented in an increment of ewes conceived twins (200-233%). Addition of olive cake in diets at a rate of 15 % resulted in significantly lower GOT, GPT, creatinine, urea, total lipid, cholesterol and estrogen levels. However, this led to increasing concentrations of progesterone hormone, in comparison with other groups. Thus, it can be recommended that using olive cake up to 15% in the diets of ewes has no negative effects on reproduction or physiological functions for improving twin’s percentage.

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