The Effect of Different Levels of Wild Reeds(Saccharum spontaneum) with Concentrated Fodder on some Physical and Biochemical Blood Parameters of Local Iraqi Lambs
Authors: Alsamaraie Anwar A. , Noaman Abdullah I. , Al-Abbasy Emad Gh. 
Published: December 2023

This experiment determined the best ratio of fortified and unsupported dried reed with urea in a concentrated feed mixture to maximize production and minimize cost. About 24 Iraqi lambs (17.27 ± 0.54) aged 3-4 months were used in this study, which lasted for 90 days in the farms of the Production Department of the College of Agriculture at the University of Tikrit from 9/19/2022 to 12/17/2022. Lambs were fed at 3% of body weight on diets of different content of wild reeds fortified and unfortified with urea mixed in the form of 8 mm pellets with concentrated fodder (black barley, wheat bran, yellow corn) and Which was divided into six treatments, the first three were without urea in the following ratios: 60 reed:40 concentrate, 40 reed : 60 concentrate and 50 reed:50 concentrate. As for the second three treatments, they contained the same proportions as the first three treatments with 3% urea from the weight of roughage feed. The results showed high statistically significant differences (P≤0.01) differences between the treatments with regard to the physical blood characteristics. The hematocrit was significantly superior in the sixth treatment at (P≤0.01) compared with the other treatments, as it was 43.57 ± 0.16% while the first treatment was the lowest among the treatments, as it was 37.95 ± 0.10 %. As for hemoglobin concentration, the third treatment was significantly higher at (P≤0.01), superior to all experimental treatments. There were significant differences in the total number of red blood cells at (P≤0.01) for the sixth treatment 14.50 ± 0.04 × 106 / ml, which was the highest compared to the rest of the treatments. There is a significant superiority at (p≤0.01) in the concentration of white blood cells in favor of the sixth treatment (8.67 ± 0.17 × 103 / ml) over the third treatment (6.65 ± 0.06 × 103 / ml) and the other treatments. As for blood biochemical characteristics, the sixth treatment was Significantly higher at (p≤0.01) in the concentration of total protein and albumin (5.90 ± 0.04 and 3.85 ± 0.02) g / dL, respectively. As for the concentration of serum globulin, the first, fourth and sixth treatments were significantly superior at (p≤0.01) over the rest. The concentration of triglycerides in the sixth treatment was 75.92 ± 0.18 mg/dL, significantly superior at (p≤0.01) over the first treatment (72.47 ± 0.19 mg/dL) which was the least significant and over the rest of the treatments, the blood glucose concentration in The sixth treatment was significantly superior at (P≤0.01) over all treatments of the experiment, and the second treatment was the lowest, and the concentration of blood urea at the sixth treatment was significantly affected at (P≤0.01) as it was 35.37 ± 0.16 mg / dL, followed by the third and fifth treatment The sixth treatment was highly significant at (P≤0.01) over the rest of the experimental treatments. As for the creatinine concentration, it was 1.67 ± 0.08 mg / dL, followed by the fifth treatment and the rest of the treatments. We conclude from the results of the experiment that providing a diet consisting of concentrated fodder and rough fodder from wild reeds at a ratio of 50/50 gives very good results in the physical and biochemical properties of lambs blood at a lower economic cost per kilogram produced, especially when urea is added to the fodder provided to lambs.