Effect of feeding Alhaji browse to lactating ewes on milk yield and performance of lambs

Livestock husbandry in dry areas is facing scarcity and fluctuation of feed supply specially during dry seasons. At the same time use of halophytic plants such as Alhagi spp. could supply small ruminant requirements. The study was conducted to determine the effect of feeding diets containing Alhagi on the milk yield of Baloochi ewes and body weight gain of their lambs. Seventy-two adult Baloochi ewes (43.5±3.5 kg) in late gestation were randomly selected and distributed into three equal groups, 24 animals each. The selected ewes were fed with the dietary treatments for 2 month before the lambing date and continued until 60 days. The treatments include: 1) Alhagi 0%, wheat straw 65%, barley grain 20%; 2) Alhagi 40%, wheat straw 25%, barley grain 20%; 3) Alhagi 80%, barley grain 20%. Increasing Alhagi replacement in diet led to raise in lignin-cellulose materials. The dietary treatments had a significant effect on overall DMI of ewes (P<0.05). The ewes receiving diets without Alhagi (1338.25 gr) and containing 80% Alhagi (1323.50gr) had increased feed intake significantly (P<0.05) compared with animals fed with Alhagi 40 percent (1068.25gr). Also treatments had a significant effect (P<0.05) on DMI of ewes during the different physiological stages: late gestation and lactating. The ewes fed with Alhagi 80% showed higher milk production than those fed with 40% Alhaji foliage in diet. Means of daily milk production were 574.42, 499.01 and 642.99 g per ewe for the diets containing 0, 40 and 80 % Alhaji, respectively. The milk fat percent related to diet 0% Alhagi was higher than diet containing 80% Alhagi significantly (P<0.05) and milk protein percent was highest (P<0.05) for ewes fed with 0% Alhagi. Diets had no significant effect on milk lactose, SNF and TS percents. The treatments had no significant effect on birth weight. The highest weaning weight and growth rate of lambs was for ewes received diet 0% Alhagi and the lowest was for ewes fed diet 40% Alhagi (P<0.01). Feeding Alhagi browse with energy supplement to lactating Baloochi ewes did not present any significant problems on milk yield or growth rate of lambs and substituting Alhagi browse for cereal straw or alfalfa in diets of sheep and will reduce the cost of roughage component and also it will supply nutritive during periods with forage scarcity.