BACKGROUND: Excessive use of antibiotic growth promoters leaded in the creation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and by consuming animal products, humans are at risk of receiving their residual. Therefore, instead of using antibiotics as growth promoters, some alternatives must be identified and introduced to animal breeders. Objectives: The purpose of this research was to study the effect of anise seed on performance, digestibility, and infectious microbes in the intestine of suckling calves. Methods: Twenty four female Holstein calves with average weight of39.8±3.8kg from the fourth day after birth to two weeks after weaning were examined in a completely randomized design to evaluate the effects of anise powder on dry matter intake, weight gain, age and weight of weaning, feed conversion ratio, apparent digestibility of dry matter, NDF and ADF, and intestinal infectious and harmful bacteria. The diets were: 1- Control, 2- 0.25% and 3- 0.5% anise/DM of diets. Results: Dry matter intake of calves did not affected by diets (p>0.05). At 70 days old the final weight of calves that consumed diets containing 0.25% and 0.5% of anise was significantly more than control diets. There was no significant difference between diets for the mean of total weight gain in whole period of experiment. The digestibility of NDF and ADF after weaning for diets contain anise was significantly more than control diet (p<0.05). Feed conversion ratio did not affected before weaning, but after weaning significantly improved compared with the control group for diet contain 0.25% and 0.5% anise (p<0.05). The age and weight of weaning were not affected by treatments. The Ammonia and pH of rumen fluid showed increase for anise diets compared with the control group (p>0.05). The adding of anise to the diets resulted in significantly decrease of E.coli of intestine of calves. Conclusions: Therefore, use of anise seed as a medicinal herb additive improved the performance of calves. Also, with the decline of E.coli population had beneficial effect on animal health and the environment. So it may be taking into account as good alternative for antibiotics.

BACKGROUND: The correct usage of  wastes in animal nutrition causes  decrease in environmental pollution. Apple pomace as an energetic matter and source of digestible fibers for ruminants is a proper alternative for forage. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this experiment was to investigate the effect of diets containing dried apple pomace on digestibility, rumination, microbial fermentation and blood glucose and urea of Arabi sheep. METHODS: In the first step, 0, 10, 20 and 30% dried apple pomace replaced with alfalfa were used in the experimental diets. According to the result, gas production and digestibility of diet containing 30% dried apple pomace was higher than the other diets (p<0.05). Therefore, in the second step, 8 Arabi sheep were fed with diet without apple pomace (control) and diet containing 30% apple pomace for 45 days. RESULTS: The result showed that nutrient digestibility (dry matter, organic matter, NDF and ADF) were not significantly affected by the diets (p>0.05), but rumination activity of diet containing apple pomace decreased (p<0.05). Blood metabolites (glucose and urea) showed no significant differences between experimental diets, but blood glucose was higher in control treatment. Rumen ammonia nitrogen concentration was 14.48 and 17.49 mg/dl (p>0.05), and pH was 6.30 and 6.16 for control and apple pomace treatment, respectively (p<0.05). The rumen protozoa numbers increased with apple pomace (p<0.05). Diet containing apple pomace increased gas production potential and digestibility of wheat straw by rumen microorganism and bacteria (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that alfalfa replaced with 30% dried apple pomace in Arabi sheep’s diet can improve digestive activity of rumen microbes and nutrient fermentation and digestibility.

BACKGROUND: The use of additives, such as medicinal plants, may result in improved digestion and fermentation and consequently, animal production. OBJECTIVES: The present experiment was conducted to determine the most appropriate amount of Ziziphora cliniopodiodes plant to be utilized in lamb diet and its effect on digestibility, fermentation, growth performance, blood, and quality of carcass and meat. METHODS: Different amounts of Ziziphora cliniopodiodes (0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1 %) were added to diet of lambs. The best diet was selected based on gas production method and fed to male lambs with an average weight of 41 ± 2 kg in a completely randomized design with three treatments and six replications. The selected diets for feeding lambs included: control diet (Ziziphora cliniopodiodes) and control diet supplemented with 0.2 or 0.4 % Ziziphora cliniopodiodes. Feed intake, digestibility of nutrients, fattening performance, blood and rumen fermentation parameters, protozoan population, and certain meat quality indexes were measured. At the end of the experiment, the carcass traits were studied. RESULTS: The obtained results herein revealed that the potential of gas production, partitioning factor, truly degradable organic matter, dry matter intake, apparent digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, glucose, cholesterol, triglyceride, blood urea nitrogen, and protozoa population were not affected by the experimental diets. There was a significant difference among the experimental diets for daily weight gain, the total weight gain of lambs, and microbial biomass production. The highest records belonged to the diet containing 0.2 % Ziziphora cliniopodiodes. Antioxidant characteristics, colorimetric indices, and pH of meat were not affected by the applied treatments. CONCLUSIONS: In general, according to livestock experiments, the best amount of Ziziphora cliniopodiodes to be employed was 0.2 %, which improved certain fermentative and performance traits.

BACKGROUND: Phosphorous is an essential nutrient for poultry. Receiving too much phosphorous by livestock and excretion of excess phosphorus, can lead to environmental pollution. OBJECTIVES: Determining the ileal and total tract digestibility of phosphorus and calcium in di-calcium phosphates produced in Iran. METHODS: A total of 720 day-old male Ross 308 broilers were randomly divided into 8 treatments with 6 replicates of 15 birds in each. In control treatment phosphoric acid was used as a source of phosphorus. The other dietary treatments included one of the seven domestic samples of di-calcium phosphates (A to G). Chromium oxide was used as a marker in the diets. On day 21, after collecting of feces, all birds were slaughtered via neck dislocation. Then, the last one-third of ileum was removed. The contents of the intestine were collected for each replicate and after drying were sent to the laboratory to determine the chromium oxide, phosphorus, and calcium amounts. Percentage of ileal and total tract digestibility of phosphorus and calcium for each sample were calculated separately. RESULTS: The effect of type of di-calcium phosphate samples in feed on ileal and total tract digestibility of calcium and phosphorus was highly significant (p < /em> < 0.001). Ileal digestibility in control was 69.8 percentage, while the lowest was observed in the E and F samples, and the highest value was related to sample A. Digestibility for phosphorus in control diet was 53.4 percentage throughout gastrointestinal tract. The lowest amounts of total tract digestibility of phosphorus were observed in treatments E and F, respectively, while the highest total tract digestibility was related to treatment A with 47.9 per cent. CONCLUSIONS: It could be concluded that ileal digestibility is more accurate in evaluating phosphorus bioavailability and sample A had the highest biological value, while the lowest was related to the samples E and F.

BACKGROUND: Following the ban on the use of growth stimulant antibiotics in many countries, interest has arisen in finding  a suitable alternative for antibiotics in poultry production. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of supplementation of two levels of nano-copper (0 and 100 mg/kg) and two levels of mannan oligosaccharide (0 or 1 g/kg) as natural growth stimulants on digestibility of nutrients and performance in broiler chicks. METHODS: At the end of the second week of breeding, 160 Cobb-500 broiler chicks were assigned in four treatment groups. For each treatment, four replicates (10 chicks per replicate) were considered. Experiment was conducted as a 2×2 factorial model in a completely randomized design. Results: No significant differences in digestibility of nutrients and growth performance between birds that ate the supplements with control group were observed (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Mannan oligosaccharides and nano-copper on growth performance and nutrient digestibility in broiler chicks had no significant effect. At the doses used, concomitant supplementation of copper and mannan oligosaccharide did not have a positive effect on traits that were studied in broilers.

An experiment (97 days) was conducted to investigate the dietary lauric acid (LA) supplementation on performance, digestibility and faecal microflora counts in Large White Yorkshire cross piglets. A basal diet was (BD) prepared as a negative control without supplementation and a positive control with an antibiotic (chlortetracycline at 0.05%) supplementation (BDA). Another two diets were prepared by supplementing LA at 0.2 and 0.4% levels to the basal diet. Dietary inclusion of LA or antibiotic significantly (P&lt;0.01) improved the body weight and feed efficiency and recorded highest (P&lt;0.01) body weights with 0.4% LA, while lowest (P&lt;0.01) weight gain with control group. Significantly higher FCR (P&lt;0.01) was observed in LA fed animals and the lowest (P&lt;0.01) was recorded in the BD and BDA groups. The improved (P&lt;0.05) digestibility of organic matter, crude fiber, ether extract and nitrogen free extract was observed with 0.4% LA. The faecal total bacterial count and E.coli count were lowered (P&lt;0.01) with LA supplementation, while highest count was observed in control group. Hence, it was concluded that, supplementation of LA at 0.2 to 0.4 % in the diets of LWY piglets showed increased weight gain, feed efficiency and nutrient digestibility by reducing faecal microflora count in LWY piglets.

The present study was conducted to study the effect of maize (Zea mays) cob on replacing paddy straw in the Total Mixed Ration (TMR). Twelve cross bred calves of about 5 to 8 months of age with body weight ranging from 41 to 79 kg were divided into two groups of six each in completely randomized design. Five complete diets were prepared (TMR1 to TMR5) using maize cobs at the level of 0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% replacement of paddy straw in the diets containing 12 % CP and 60 % TDN of 50:50 concentrate to roughage ratio. There was significant (P&lt;0.01) differences among the diets in OM, CF, NFE, TA, AIA, NDF, ADF, Lignin, Hemicellulose and Cellulose contents. In vitro rumen fermentation study showed significantly (P&lt;0.01) higher total gas (ml/200 mg/48 h), in vitro dry matter and organic matter degradability in maize cob based ration than paddy straw contained ration (51.17 vs 36.00; 62.87 vs 57.25; 64.80 vs 59.93). Paddy straw (100%) based diet as control ration and maize cob (100 % replacement of paddy straw) based diet as treatment ration fed to growing calves for sixty days in growth trial. A seven day digestion trial was conducted in the middle of the experiment. The digestibility (%) of DM, OM, CP, EE, CF and NFE were significantly (P&lt;0.01) higher in the maize cob based diet fed group than paddy straw based diet fed group. The average body weight gain (kg) and FCR (kg DMI/ kg gain) were significantly (P&lt;0.05) higher in maize cob fed animals (19.47; 6.10) than paddy straw fed animals (16.02; 7.34). The feed cost per unit of weight gain in calves fed paddy straw based diet was numerically higher (30.78 %) than calves fed on maize cob based ration. It could be concluded that maize cob based ration could replace paddy straw at 100 % level in total mixed ration without affecting feed intake and nutrient digestibility and may also improve the body weight gain and reduce feed cost in growing calves.

The present study was conducted to study the effect of maize (Zea mays) cob on replacing paddy straw in the Total Mixed Ration (TMR). Twelve cross bred calves of about 5 to 8 months of age with body weight ranging from 41 to 79 kg were divided into two groups of six each in completely randomized design. Five complete diets were prepared (TMR1 to TMR5) using maize cobs at the level of 0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% replacement of paddy straw in the diets containing 12 % CP and 60 % TDN of 50:50 concentrate to roughage ratio. There was significant (P&lt;0.01) differences among the diets in OM, CF, NFE, TA, AIA, NDF, ADF, Lignin, Hemicellulose and Cellulose contents. In vitro rumen fermentation study showed significantly (P&lt;0.01) higher total gas (ml/200 mg/48 h), in vitro dry matter and organic matter degradability in maize cob based ration than paddy straw contained ration (51.17 vs 36.00; 62.87 vs 57.25; 64.80 vs 59.93). Paddy straw (100%) based diet as control ration and maize cob (100 % replacement of paddy straw) based diet as treatment ration fed to growing calves for sixty days in growth trial. A seven day digestion trial was conducted in the middle of the experiment. The digestibility (%) of DM, OM, CP, EE, CF and NFE were significantly (P&lt;0.01) higher in the maize cob based diet fed group than paddy straw based diet fed group. The average body weight gain (kg) and FCR (kg DMI/ kg gain) were significantly (P&lt;0.05) higher in maize cob fed animals (19.47; 6.10) than paddy straw fed animals (16.02; 7.34). The feed cost per unit of weight gain in calves fed paddy straw based diet was numerically higher (30.78 %) than calves fed on maize cob based ration. It could be concluded that maize cob based ration could replace paddy straw at 100 % level in total mixed ration without affecting feed intake and nutrient digestibility and may also improve the body weight gain and reduce feed cost in growing calves.

A study was undertaken with an objective to evaluate the effect of sugarcane bagasse as analternate roughage source on the feed intake, nutrient digestibility and growth performance in crossbred calves. Eighteen crossbred calves aged one year with an average body weight of154.28 kg were utilised in the study for 6 months. The animals were divided into 3 groups and fed with two different inclusion levels of sugarcane bagasse (25% and 50%) replacing conventional fodder and a control diet based on roughage and concentrates, commonly adopted in the region. There was no significant (p&gt;0.05) difference between control and treatment groups in the digestibility of DM, OM, CF, NFE, however the digestibility of EE differed significantly (p&lt;0.05).Even though DCP showed highly significant difference among the groups, the TDN contents were similar to the control diets for both treatment groups. The dry matter intake did not differ significantly for the 1st and 2nd months. There was no significant (p&gt;0.05) difference in the bodyweight of the animals in the entire study period.Therefore sugarcane bagasse can be safely included up to the level of 50% in the diet and can potentially replace the conventional green fodder without affecting the growth and daily dry matter intake in crossbred growing calves.

An experiment (97 days) was conducted to investigate the dietary lauric acid (LA) supplementation on performance, digestibility and faecal microflora counts in Large White Yorkshire cross piglets. A basal diet was (BD) prepared as a negative control without supplementation and a positive control with an antibiotic (chlortetracycline at 0.05%) supplementation (BDA). Another two diets were prepared by supplementing LA at 0.2 and 0.4% levels to the basal diet. Dietary inclusion of LA or antibiotic significantly (P&lt;0.01) improved the body weight and feed efficiency and recorded highest (P&lt;0.01) body weights with 0.4% LA, while lowest (P&lt;0.01) weight gain with control group. Significantly higher FCR (P&lt;0.01) was observed in LA fed animals and the lowest (P&lt;0.01) was recorded in the BD and BDA groups. The improved (P&lt;0.05) digestibility of organic matter, crude fiber, ether extract and nitrogen free extract was observed with 0.4% LA. The faecal total bacterial count and E.coli count were lowered (P&lt;0.01) with LA supplementation, while highest count was observed in control group. Hence, it was concluded that, supplementation of LA at 0.2 to 0.4 % in the diets of LWY piglets showed increased weight gain, feed efficiency and nutrient digestibility by reducing faecal microflora count in LWY piglets.