Fattening performance, feed intake, diet digestibility, rumen fermentation and blood parameters in Romanov×Lori Bakhtiari crossbred and Lori Bakhtiari lambs

Present experiment was conducted to compare the performance of Romanov×Lori Bakhtiari crossbred (F1) and Lori Bakhtiari male lambs. Fifteen lambs (initial body weight of 20±1 kg) from each group were fed ad libitum by a balanced diet, and weightd at the end of fattening period and at 15-days intervals. Average daily gain, daily feed intake, diet digestibility, rumen pH and ammonia nitrogen, blood glucose and urea nitrogen were determined. Chewing activity was studied during 24 h. At the end of fattening period, three lambs from each group were slaughtered, and the hot carcass and offal weights and were measured. Dry matter (58.79 vs. 62.35 %) and acid detergent fiber (35.84 vs. 39.92 %) digestibility in crossbred lambs were less than Lori-Bakhtiari sheep (P