The effect of starter diet containing different levels of bitter vetch seed on performance and milk consumption and growth characteristics in Mughani suckling lambs

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Graduated with a master's degree, in Animal Nutrition, Department of Animal Science, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran

2 Professors, Department of Animal Science, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran

3 Department of animal science, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran

4 Academic staff member, Department of Agriculture, Payam Noor University, Tehran, Iran

10.22034/as.2025.64390.1761

Abstract

Introduction: Meat, as the most important source of animal protein, plays a significant role in meeting human needs for amino acids (Orman et al. 2008) and is the most important product of sheep (Kianzad 2013). Given that the highest income from sheep farming is through lamb production (Snyman et al. 1997), increasing the reproduction rate by reducing the lambing interval and properly raising the lambs produced is the most important measure to increase the economic efficiency of livestock farming (Emsen et al. 2004). In natural pastures and rangelands (especially in arid and semi-arid regions), the nutritional needs of growing lambs are not met through available feed, so the use of supplementary diets during lactation will be effective in stimulating rumen growth, increasing nutrient absorption, and increasing growth (Santra and Karim 1999). Starter diets are generally given to lambs after the first week of life to develop rumen and provide feed for rapid growth (Haddad 2006). Lambs require high-quality protein source during the first weeks of their life, because their rumen is not completely developed (Herath et al., 2021). Legumes are one of the most important sources of food in human, livestock and poultry nutrition, (Bayourthe et al., 1998). One of the products of the legume family that can be considered as a protein source is bitter vetch seed (Vicia ervilia) (Haddad, 2006). Cultivation of this plant has been common in the West and North-West of Iran for many years (Haddad, 2006). In recent years, attention has been paid to leguminous plants due to their high nutritional value and short growth period, and the need for little care by farmers, livestock breeders and feed factories. Livestock population has increased in most countries of the world (Rotger et al., 2006). Moreover, one of the important features of bitter vetch seed is its high crude protein content, which can be used as a protein supplement (Arabi, 1996). So that the amount of protein is 2 to 3 times that of cereal grains, and they can be included in livestock diets, as a protein supplement especially the starter diets of suckling lambs (Arabi, 1996; Hadjipanayiotou and Economides, 2001). Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of starter diets containing different levels of bitter vetch seed on milk consumption feed intake, performance and growth characteristics in Mughani suckling lambs.
Materials and methods: Fifty Mughani suckling male lambs (average 5 ± 1 days of age and average initial body weight 4.56 ± 0.77 kg) were grouped based on live weight and randomly assigned to one of 5 experimental groups (one control group and 4 groups receiving the starter diets containing different levels of 0, 9, 18 and 27% bitter vetch seed) in a completely randomized design. Milk consumption, feed intake and growth performance of lambs were recorded until the age of 90 days. Conventional methods (AOAC 2000) were used to determine dry matter, crude protein, crude fat, ash and the method of Van Suest et al. (1991) to measure neutral detergent insoluble fiber (NDF) and acid detergent insoluble fiber (ADF). On the 90th day of the experiment, blood was collected from the jugular vein three hours after feeding the meal. Glucose, urea, total protein, albumin, cholesterol, and triglyceride were measured. Data obtained from each treatment were analyzed using software (SAS, 2003) and the GLM procedure. Comparison of means was done using LSMEANS and 0.05 level was considered as significant level. The initial weight of the animals at the beginning of the experiment was included as a covariate and was removed from the model if it was not significant.
Results and discussion: The results showed that the experimental diets had a significant effect on the daily weight gain of the suckling lambs, so that the average daily weight gain was the highest in the lambs fed starter diet containing 18% bitter vetch seed. The starter diets containing protein supplements significantly increased the average daily weight gain of suckling lambs compared to the control group. Haddad (2006) investigated the effect of replacing soybean meal with bitter vetch seed in growing Awasi lambs and concluded that the partial or complete replacement of bitter vetch seed with soybean meal does not affect the feed intake and growth performance of lambs. The effective degradability ratio of crude protein of bitter vetch seed is higher than the effective degradability ratio of crude protein of soybean meal (Haddad 2006). Therefore, if its amount is high in the diet, it is likely that the balance between dietary protein degraded in the rumen and microbial protein produced in the rumen is changed, causing an increase in ammonia concentration in the rumen. A high effective degradability ratio provides the required energy in the form of volatile fatty acids for the livestock and rumen microbes (Yalcin and Enol 1994). Synchronizing the rumen digestion of protein and carbohydrates, in order to create rapid fermentations by means of sources of starch and rapidly degradable protein, stimulates the synthesis of more microbial crude protein or increases the efficiency of its synthesis (National Research Council 2001). The experimental diets had a significant effect on the structural characteristics of suckling lambs (P<0.01) and lambs fed diet containing 18% bitter vetch seed had the highest body length, height growth, hip, pin, and testicular circumference. Whereas lambs fed starter diet containing 9% bitter vetch seed had the highest breast circumference growth. Reisi et al. (2011) reported that replacing 25% of cotton meal with bitter vetch seed improves the growth and carcass characteristics of Lori-Bakhtiari lambs. Average daily milk intake and the total milk intake was higher in the control group (P<0.01). Overall, the study of blood parameters of suckling lambs fed with supplementary diets in reports by other researchers show consistency with the present study, as Toghdari et al. (2022) reported similar results regarding blood parameters.
Conclusion: It was concluded that bitter vetch seed inclusion starter diet of suckling lambs improved growth performance and it is recommended up to 18% of the starter diet.

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Main Subjects

References

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Animal Science Research
Volume 35, Issue 4
February 2025
Pages 15-31

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History

  • Receive Date: 06 November 2024
  • Revise Date: 14 September 2025
  • Accept Date: 15 September 2025

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