| | | EAAP 2013 (European Federation of Animal Science). The 64th Annual Meeting | Nantes, France | 26 – 30 August 2013 | Lecturer | Abstract
Less or no information is available on lamb mortality of Awassi sheep, a local breed in Jordan that is known as highly adaptive to the harsh desert conditions and arid environments. This study aimed at investigating factors affecting pre-weaning mortality in Awassi lambs reared in extensive and semi-extensive production systems. Data were recorded on 12,080 lambs descending from 20,133 ewes, born between October 2011 and January 2013. The study included 120 sheep flocks from the different agro-ecological zones in Jordan. Records of each flock were controlled by a commercial sheep flock monitoring system. The overall mean of lamb mortality from birth to weaning (at 60 days of age) was 19.3%. Most of the deaths (16.2%) occurred within the first week of life, while a much smaller percentage of lambs (3.1%) died from second week of life to weaning. The major causes of mortality were hypothermia and cold exposure (28.8%), diarrhea and other digestive disorders (22.1%), starvation (9.1%) and respiratory problems (8.8%). The lamb losses were significantly (P<0.05) higher in females (11.6%) than in males (7.7%). Compared to lambs born in semi-extensive systems, lambs born in extensive system were 3.2, 2.7 and 2.8 times more likely to die due to diarrhea, hypothermia and starvation, respectively. When compared single lambs, twins were 2.3 and 2.1 times more likely to die due to hypothermia and starvation, respectively. Lambs born from triples litters were under considerable high (P<0.05) risk to die due to all previous causes of death, compared to lambs born from single litter. The results suggest that large litter sizes are associated with low birth weight and increased mortality. Therefore it is recommended to avoid enhancement of large litter size, particularly in extensive production systems. These factors can be considered by sheep farmers to increase lamb survival rate.
| | | Anas Abdelqader , Abdur-Rahman Al-Fataftah , Gürbüz Daş
| EAAP 2013 (European Federation of Animal Science). The 64th Annual Meeting | Nantes, France | 26 – 30 August 2013 | Lecturer | Abstract
This study investigated whether performance, eggshell quality, Ca retention and intestinal health and morphology of late-phase laying hens can be improved by single and combined inclusions of Bacillus subtilis and inulin in the diet. Eighty hens (64 wk old) were randomly distributed into 4 treatment groups each consisting of 5 replicates of 4 hens. Birds in the groups were fed a basal diet (control) or basal diet plus 1 g/kg B. subtilis (2.3 ×108 cfu/g) or basal diet plus 1 g/kg inulin, or basal diet plus a synbiotic combination of B. subtilis and inulin for 12 wk. Dietary supplementation of B. subtilis, inulin or synbiotic improved feed conversion, egg performance, eggshell quality and calcium retention compared with the control (P<0.05). Inulin and synbiotic exhibited the highest increase in eggshell thickness and eggshell Ca content, and the lowest eggshell deformations (P<0.05). Unmarketable eggs were reduced from 8.4% in control group to 3.5%, 1.7%, and 1.5% in B. subtilis, inulin and synbiotic groups, respectively (P<0.05). Tibia density, ash, and Ca content increased by inulin and synbiotic inclusions (P<0.05). B. subtilis, inulin and their synbiotic combination increased villus height and crypt depth in all intestinal segments, compared with the control (P<0.05). B. subtilis and inulin modulated the ileal and caecal microflora composition by decreasing numbers of Clostridium and Coliforms and increasing bifidobacteria and lactobacilli (P<0.05). Colonization of the beneficial microflora along with increasing the villi-crypts absorptive area were directly associated with the improvements in performance and eggshell quality. It is concluded that egg production and eggshell quality of late-phase laying hens are improved by inclusions of B. subtilis and inulin in the diet.
| | | | | UK | 2011 | Lecturer | | | | | Expert workshop, University of Göttingen, Göttingen | Germany | 2008 | Lecturer | | | | Abdelqader, A., Wollny, C.B.A., Gauly, M. | | Germany | 2005 | Lecturer | | | | Abdelqader, A., Wollny, C.B.A. | | Germany | 2004 | Lecturer | |
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