The purpose of this experiment was to study the effects of silage type (ST) and levels of silage particle size (SPS) on feed intake, digestibility, rumen parameters, and feed intake behavior in Kermani sheep. Corn and millet crops were cultivated in May and harvested into coarse and fine forages in mid-September. Four rams (two years old, BW 39.2±3.1 kg) were randomly assigned to four treatments in a 2×2 factorial arrangements in a Latin square design. The experimental diets were coarse corn silage diet; short corn silage diet; coarse millet silage diet and short millet silage diet. Diets were iso-nitrogenous and iso-energetic, and the ratio of forage to concentrate was 50:50. The potential of gas production was higher in corn silage (CS) than millet silage (MS) (P<0.03) and coarse SPS than short SPS (P<0.02). The dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM) and crude protein (CP) intakes were higher in short SPS diets while DM, OM and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) digestibility were higher in CS diets (76.26, 73.43 and 58.71%, respectively), while the CP digestibility was higher in short SPS diets (74.98%). The mean ruminal pH value was lower in CS diets (P<0.05). The mean ruminal ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) concentration was higher in CS and short SPS diets. Microbial protein (MP) synthesis was higher in short SPS diets (P<0.05). Chewing activity was higher in MS and short SPS diets (P<0.05). The results indicated the higher quality of CS, although MS can be safely fed to small ruminants such.

Background and objectives: In Iran, corn silage is an important part of ruminant forage. Mechanical processing of corn forage can improve the properties of corn silage. In this process, chopped fodder is processed using toothed rollers. In this way, it is increased the digestibility of starch and cell wall. Barley starch has a fast ruminal fermentation, and while increasing the production of microbial protein, it can cause an increase in the incidence of digestive abnormalities in ruminants. Neutral detergent fiber (NDF) of sugar beet pulp are very digestible. This study was conducted in order to investigate the effect of two processing levels of corn silage and barley grain and sugar beet pulp on silage quality, feed intake, digestibility of nutrients, rumen parameters and feed intake behavior of Kermani sheep. Materials and methods: In this research, four 2-year-old Kermani lambs with an average weight of 42 ± 2.8 kg were used in a 2x2 factorial experiment in the form of a Latin square design in four periods of 21 days. The experimental diets were: 1)processed corn silage + concentrate with barley seeds, 2)processed corn silage + concentrate with sugar beet pulp, 3)unprocessed corn silage + concentrate with barley seeds, 4)unprocessed corn silage + concentrate with sugar beet pulp. The daily feed was distributed in two equal portions on 8/00 and 18/00. Research data were stored in Excel software and statistically analyzed with SAS software.Results: Silage processing decreased the percentage of dry matter (DM) and NDF, increased NH3-N, pH (4.42 and 4.04, respectively, P=0.02) and sensory evaluation (15 and 18, respectively, P=0.02) score of silage. Feed intake was higher in the processed silage diets and the diet with barley grain. The digestibility of organic matter (OM) and NDF was higher in the diet containing sugar beet pulp. Ruminal NH3-N (mg/dL) (21.17 and 22.81, respectively, P=0.02) was higher in diets containing processed silage at two and eight hours after feeding, and it was lower in diets containing sugar beet pulp at 6 hours after feeding. The pH of the rumen fluid in the diet containing sugar beet pulp with processed silage was significantly higher than in other experimental diets at eight hours after feeding (P=0.01, 6.92),. The population of rumen protozoa was higher in the unprocessed silage and barley grain diets. Feed intake time was higher in unprocessed silage diets. However, the most rumination time was related to sheep fed processed silage diets. The highest chewing time was in barley seeds diets.Conclusion: Although corn fodder processing caused a decrease in the sensory evaluation score in the processed silages, it caused an increase in DM intake and OM intake in diets containing this type of silage. The effect of processing silage on animal responses were greater than the effect of barley grain or sugar beet pulp on these responses. It is recommended to process corn fodder with dry matter of about 30 percent.

It is important to optimize forage choices for improved milk production and goat health under intensive raising systems. Our hypothesis was that alfalfa hay (AH), corn silage (CS), and wheat straw (WS) can be utilized by lactating Murciano-Granadina goats towards efficient milk production and that feed intake and efficiency and milk quantity and quality responses as well as metabolic parameters would differ among the forage sources. The objective was to determine effects of feeding different major forages on feed intake, behavior time budget, milk production and composition, and circulating blood metabolites in lactating Murciano-Granadina goats. Thirty lactating goats were used in a completely randomized design study with three treatments including diets containing 1) WS, 2) AH, or 3) CS at 40. 3% of diet dry matter. Treatment diets were formulated to be isoenergetic (ME) and isonitrogenous (CP). Ten goats were assigned to each treatment. Forage source affected (P<0. 01) dry matter intake (DMI), such that the highest intake was for CS (1904 g/d) and the lowest intake was for WS (1406 g/d) with AH being intermediate (1674 g/d). The yields of raw and fat-corrected milk, milk protein, lactose, and solids-nonfat were greater (P<0. 01) for CS than for other two forages. Milk contents of fat, total solids, urea nitrogen, unsaturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and blood concentrations of total proteins were greater (P<0. 05) for AH than for other forages. Milk somatic cell counts tended to be lower (P<0. 10) for CS than for AH and WS. Treatments did not affect (P>0. 10) times spent standing, lying and ruminating, and blood concentrations of glucose, albumin, and non-esterified fatty acids. Total protein concentrations in serum were, however, greater (P<0. 05) for AH than for CS and WS. In conclusion, different forage choices can be fed to lactating Murciano-Granadina goats with different aims,CS for increased milk yield, AH for improved milk fat content, and WS for lower feed cost. Changes in forage cost and availability, production systems and strategies, and consumers' demand will determine how to optimize forage choices for lactating goats.

This research was designed to compare the effect of processing corn silage, and barley and corn grains on feed intake, digestibility and rumen parameters in sheep. Eight Kermani lambs were used with average weight of 53.2±4.1 kg. The experiment was carried out as 2×2 factorial design in the form of a Latin square design in four periods of 21 days. A part of chopped corn forage was processed. Silages were prepared from processed and unprocessed forage in nylon bags. The experimental diets were 1. Diet with 30% processed silage with barley grain, 2 .Diet with 30% processed silage with corn grain, 3. Diet with unprocessed silage with Barley grain and 4. Diet with unprocessed silage with corn grain. Physical processing of corn forage increased the pH of silage, but the sensory evaluation score decreased (P=0.01). The dry matter (DM) intake was higher in diets containing processed silage (1.96 vs 1.82 kg, P<0.04). The digestibility of organic matter (OM) was higher in the corn grain diet and the diet with processed silage. The feed intake and the rumen pH levels were lower in processed silage diets and ammonia nitrogen concentration was lower in the processed silage with barley grain diet (P<0.05) eight hours after feeding. The time of feed intake and rumination were higher in unprocessed silage diets. In general, the processing of corn forage increased the DM intake and increased the OM and protein digestibility in sheep. The effect of grain types on animal responses was less than processing levels.

An experiment was carried out to evaluate the effects of particle size of two forages on rumen parameters of ten Sangsari fistulated lactating ewes using a complete randomized design with five treatments in six replications during 30 days. Experimental rations includes 1) coarse alfalfa+coarse corn silage 2) medium alfalfa+Coarse corn silage 3) medium alfalfa +fine corn silage 4) Fine alfalfa+coarse corn silage 5) Fine alfalfa+Fine corn silage. The ruminal content of ewes manually evacuated at 3, 7. 5, and 12 h post feeding and seprated to particulate and liquied phase. The chemical composition of feed ingredients and experimental rations were similar but particle size of forages was different among treatments. Along with decrease of particle size, pef>8 decreased significantly. Also, reduction of particle size decreased the value of pef>1. 18 in alfalfa and corn silage. Geometric mean of particles was decreased significantly with decrease of particle size, but standard deviation of geometric mean was tended to significance. Consumption of neutral detergent fiber was not affected by forage particle size. Geometric mean of solid particle size in rumen at different hours after feeding did not show significant difference. Along with increase of time after feeding, portion of passable phase particles from rumen was increased. Feeding activity and total chewing time were not affected by experimental treatment, but as was expectable along with decrease of particle size, rumination time was decreased significantly.

This study investigated the effects of alfalfa hay and corn silage particle size on chewing activity, passage rate of solid fraction in the rumen and performance of pregnant ewes. The experiment has been done using 30 ewes (35± 0. 4 months) in a completely randomized design with five treatments and six replicates during a 30 days period. Forages were including alfalfa hay (three sizes, geometric mean 2. 42, 4. 91 and 7. 04 mm) and corn silage (two sizes, geometric mean 3. 36 and 7. 73 mm). Treatments including fine particles of alfalfa hay and corn silage had the least physical effectiveness factor (pef > 8) and pef values (pef >8, pef >1. 18) were reduced with decrease in particle size (P<0. 05). Geometric mean also decreased (P<0. 05). Following reduction in particle size of forages, passage rate of solid fraction in the rumen and terminal part of digestive tract (TDT) were increased (P<0. 05) and retention time in the rumen, TDT and total retention time were decreased (P<0. 05). Feed intake time, chewing activity and total chewing time were not affected (P<0. 05). Results showed that it is necessary to consider the appropriate balance between particle size as a representative of the physical and chemical characteristics of the diet. The treatment of alfalfa fine particle size plus corn silage long particle size in most cases showed better results, and it seems that this treatment has provided a more appropriate balance in the diet for feeding ewes. Therefore, in preparing the pregnant ewes’ diet, we can expect better performance by considering the particle size.

In the majority of experiments, the effects of phytic acid (with or without phytase) are not separated from the effects of adding plant meals containing phytic acid. A 12-week experiment was conducted with rainbow trout (with average weight: 28.9 g) to determine the separate and combined effects of phytic acid and phytase on feed intake, trypsin activity, digestibility and growth. Diets were prepared without phytic acid and phytase, with 2000 U phytase kg-1 diet, with 10 g sodium phytate kg-1 diet, and with 10 g sodium phytate and 2000 U phytase kg-1 diet. The basal diet contained sufficient phosphorus and other minerals to meet rainbow trout requirements. Two-way anova was used for data analyse and Duncan multiple range test was used for mean comparison by SAS software at level of 0.05. The addition of phytic acid had no significant effect (p>0.05) on feed intake or weight gain, it significantly (p<0.05) reduced protein digestibility although there was no reduction in trypsin activity. Phytase inclusion neutralized the effect of phytic acid on protein digestibility. Phytase had no effect on feed intake but significantly (p<0.05) enhanced growth whether included with or without phytic acid. Feed efficiency ratio was significantly (p<0.05) improved for fish fed the diet containing both phytase and phytic acid but not separately. The significance of this experiment was to separate the direct effects of phytase and the direct effects of phytic acid, added in a pure form, from effects due to other components in ingredients containing phytic acid.

In order to study the effect of Tsukamurella inchonensis bacterin on feed conversion ratio in broiler chickens, a total of 140 day-old broiler chicks were purchased and and 20 chicks were bled for determination maternal antibody and remaining chicks divided randomly into 4 equal groups and each group divided into 3 equal subgroups. Chickens of group A received 106 bacterin subcutaneously on 2 days before vaccination against influenza disease. Chickens of group B received 106 bacterin subcutaneously on 6 days after the first injection of bacterin. Chickens of group C received 106 bacterin subcutaneously on 6 days after the second injection of bacterin. Chickens of group D, vaccinated against influenza disease but did not receive bacterin. Mean feed intake, weight gains, and feed conversion ratio of all groups were determined at 21, and 42 days. The results of present study showed that there was not any significant difference between groups that received Tsukamurella inchonensis bacterin compared to control group. Comparison of chicks weight gains showed that there was significant difference between all groups during 21-42 days, and 0-42 days. Comparison of chicks feed intake showed that there was significant difference between all groups during 0-21 days, 21-42 days, and 0-42 days.

In this study the role of the glutamatergic system on feed intake in 24-hour-feed-deprived broiler cockerels was investigated. ICV injection of 0, 0.675, 1.25, and 2.5 nmol of glutamate reduced feed intake dose-dependently, and increased the latency time to start feeding.Pretreatment with 2.5 nmol HQCA, an ionotropic glutamate antagonist resulted in both an increase in feed intake and a decrease in latency of birds to start feeding. Pretreatment with 2nmol of MSPG, a metabotropic glutamate receptor antagonist, severely reduced feed intake and increased the latency to start feeding. These findings suggest, for the first time, that glutamate, acting as a neurotransmitter, is involved in feed intake regulation in broiler cockerels. This effect is probably mediated by both ionotropic and metabotropic receptors. It appears that both postsynaptic and presynaptic glutamate receptors are involved.