EFFECT OF FEED BLOCKS CONTAINING DIFFERENT PERCENTAGES OF SUNFLOWER MEAL ON THE PRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE AND CARCASS TRAITS FOR AWASSI LAMBS

Abstract

This study was conducted on 28 Awassi lambs with age of (3-4 months), with an initial weight of (24.510 kg) in order to study of the use of different percentages from feed blocks of the sunflower, for the purpose of fattening Awassi lambs and their effect on the productive performance and some traits of the carcass. The lambs were randomly distributed to four groups. The four groups were fed freely on the feed blocks as a concentrated diet, which were homogeneous in terms of protein and energy, and differed by containing it different percentages of the sunflower meal, where they were (0%, 6%, 12%, 18%) for the first, second and third and fourth, respectively, and continued for 91 days. The results showed no significant effect (P≤0.05) in the final weight between the four treatments where the final weight ranged between (44.171 and 48.243 kg), the average of Total weight gain between (19.657 and 23.7 kg) and the daily increase ranged between (0.216 to 0.260 kg). It was found that the best Feed Conversion Efficiency (FCE) was for the group that ate the feed blocks which contained on 18% of the sunflower meal, which amounted of (6.101 kg feed.kg-1 weight gain), and there were no significant differences in the weight of the hot carcass, the percentage of dressing, Rib Eye Muscle Area and the residues of eaten and uneaten carcass and the amount of intake from dry matter, While recorded a significant (P≤0.05) differences in the averages weight of the shoulder where the highest weight was in the first treatment compared to the second treatment, The weight of rump was significantly excelled (P≤0.05) for the fourth treatment, which recorded the highest weight compared to the second and the first, and the third and the second compared to the first. The weight of the half neck recorded significant increase (P≤0.05) for the third treatment compared to the first, second and fourth, while there were no significant differences in the weights of Thigh, chest, fore shank and flank. In the economic sense, the best type of feed blocks was in the fourth treatment because it was economically better to produce 1 kg from live weight between the treatments, followed by the first, second and third treatment, and priority the total average of Total weight gain was in the first and fourth treatment compared to other treatments.