Whole cottonseed in Zandi lambs diet: Performance and small intestine morphology

The effect of various levels of Whole cottonseed (WCS) on performance and small intestinal morphology was carried out by using 20 Zandi male lambs in a completely randomized design with four treatments (0، 4، 8 and 16 percent WCS) for 90 days period. The diets were iso-nitrogenous and iso-caloric. The average daily weight gain of lambs were not affected by dietary WCS levels، significantly، but، different levels of WCS in diets decreased feed conversion ratio (P<0. 05). Diet containing 8 percent WCS، increased significantly (P<0. 01) the frequency of leaf shape villi compared to control (16. 8 vs. 14%). The effect of sampling location of small intestine was significant on frequency of villi، so that by moving toward the end of intestine، the frequency of tongue shape and convoluted villi decreased، whereas the finger shape villi increased. Villi height and crypt depth increased linearly by increasing the WCS inclusion rate to diet، significantly (P<0. 05). The villi in duodenum were higher than the villi of other segment of small intestine (p<0. 05). The results of this experiment showed that the fattening male lamb can be fed with diets containing 16 percent of WCS and the increasing the inclusion rate of WCS to diets increase the height of villi and villi height: crypt depth ratio، Thus، improve nutrients absorption.