Effect of neutral detergent soluble carbohydrate source and addition roasted canola seed on growth performance and nutrient digestibility of lambs fed high concentrate diets

In order to investigate the effect of partial replacement of barley starch with beet pulp soluble fiber with or without roasted canola seed on apparent nutrient digestibility، dry matter intake، daily weight gain، feed conversion ratio and rumenal pH 24 Arabian male lambs were used for 84 days in a completely randomized design with a 2×2 factorial arrangement. Treatments had no significant effect on the dry matter intake، feed conversion ratio، and apparent digestibility of protein and organic matter (P>0. 05). High starch diets compared with high soluble fiber diets caused a significant decrease in the digestibility of DM، OM، ADF and NDF (P<0. 01). Canola seed addition significantly decreased ADF and NDF digestibilities (P<0. 01). The carbohydrate source by canola seed interaction was significant for daily weight gain and rumen pH (P<0. 01) indicating that addition of canola seed to high starch diet increased daily weight gain and rumen pH more dramatically in comparison with diet containing soluble fiber (P<0. 01). It is concluded that partial replacement of starch with soluble fiber and addition of canola seed to these diets could have positive effects on growth performance، nutrient digestibility and rumen pH.