Effect of level of supplementation with Saccharomyces cerevisae on performance of Awassi lambs

Abstract

24 Awassi lambs were used in an individual feeding experiment to investigate the effect of supplementation with baker's yeast (SC) on their performance. Concentrate diets containing 0, 6, 8 or 10 g/head/day of SC were offered to lambs twice a day at rate of 3% of body weight (BW), in addition to free choice of barley straw. Results revealed that straw dry matter (DM) and organic matter (OM) intakes were increased (P<0.05) due to supplementation with 8 and 10 as compared to supplementation with 0 and 6 g/day of SC. Similarly, total digestible DM, OM and nitrogen intakes were improved (P<0.05) for the same reason. Lambs received SC gained higher (P<0.05) weight as compared to those fed control diet. Average daily gain (ADG) values were 195.42, 187, 179.57 and 162.71 g/day for lambs fed diets supplemented with 10, 8, 6 and 0 of SC respectively. Results also showed that supplementation with SC improved feed conversion ratio (FCR), however, significant (P<0.05) response was limited to higher level of SC as compared to control, and appeared only when FCR was expressed on basis of total DM and OM intakes (6.25 vs. 6.75 g DM/g gain and 5.58 vs. 6.02 g OM/g gain). Regarding digestibility, results revealed that supplementation lambs diets with yeast improved (P<0.05) digestibility of DM and its organic components regardless to level of supplementation, though, digestibility of EE was not affected.