Effect of Diet Type Using Whole or Crushed Grains on Productive Performance in Awassi Lambs and Rumen Fluid Characteristics

This study was carried out with the aim of knowing the effect of the type of diet using whole or crushed grains on the productive performance of Awassi lambs and the characteristics of rumen fluid.1/8 / 2021 for two periods, 18 male Awassi lambs, 4-6 months old, with an initial weight of 25 ± 10 were used in this experiment. It was divided into three groups, with six animals per group, and the first treatment (T1) was given concentrated feed by 2.5% of the animal’s weight in the form of whole grains and hay to saturation, and the second treatment (T2) used concentrated feed by 2.5% of the weight of the organism in the form of 50% Whole grains and 50% crushed grains and hay to saturation. The third treatment used concentrated feed 2.5% of the animal’s weight, crushed grains with hay to saturation. The results showed that there was a significant difference (p≤0.05) for the grain size provided in the coarse fodder consumption characteristic, as the first treatment that was fed whole grains was superior to the other treatments. There was a significant (p≤0.05) superiority of the periods on the daily and total weight gain, as the first period was superior to the second period. There was also a significant difference for the volume of grain provided on the daily weight gain, where the first treatment, which consisted of whole grains, was superior to the third treatment. Total weight gain, the first and second treatments were superior to the third treatment. There was a significant superiority (p≤0.05) for the interaction between the period and the grain size provided, as the interaction between the first period, the first feeding, and the second feeding was superior to the third feeding in terms of total weight gain. As for the level of the second period, a significant difference (P≤0.05) was found for the overlap between the second period and the first treatment in terms of daily and total weight gain over the third treatment. As for the level of overlap between feeding and periods, there was a significant superiority (P≤0.05) for the overlap between the period and the period. The first and the type of feeding in the daily weight gain and the total increase over the overlap between the second period and the type of feeding. There was a significant effect (p≤0.05) of the grain size provided on the rumen acidity (PH), where the first treatment was superior to the other treatments.


Introduction
Sheep is one of the most important resources in providing red meat, and red meat is the most important source of animal protein because it contains essential amino acids that the body cannot manufacture at high levels, and it also contains many vitamins as well as quantities of mineral elements necessary to meet the nutritional needs of the human body [1].Therefore, many researchers sought to develop a nutritional system to meet the needs of the animal to increase the speed of growth and also increase production within special foundations and rules that were later called the new protein system to provide the necessary needs for growth and production [2].It is also known that nutrition is one of the main, essential, and important factors that have a direct impact on production.The sheep and goat breeding and production sector suffers from a problem of shortage and decrease in fodder materials of all kinds, which affects the increase in production and growth [1].Sheep are completely dependent on summer.In feeding on the remnants of agricultural crops, especially wheat and barley, from June to November, especially in dry areas, where supplementary feed is not available during this period, and it is associated with the fertilization season, and it starts from November to January, the stage of manual feeding, where pastures are reduced, and it is a critical period, and reliance is made In feeding sheep on grains such as barley, wheat, etc., and crushed hay as basic fodder, in addition to grazing for limited periods according to the rainy season [3].The early use of starter feed for lambs is important for the development of the rumen and thus achieving optimal growth [4].Eating primary feed before weaning can stimulate the growth of the digestive system and the healthy growth of ruminant animals [5].Concentrated feed materials are a mixture of grains, seeds, and some additives and products resulting from the food industry, such as cake.They are characterized by their high protein content, low fiber content, and thermal energy.These materials are called concentrated materials because of the small size of the components they contain, and these components are of a small size as a result of the milling and crushing operations of the raw materials formed from them [6].The physical form of the starter feed is one of the most important factors affecting the performance of ruminant animals [7].The mechanical reduction of grain size from a physical point of view is a cracking of the grain and thus will reduce the effort spent on chewing and increase the utilization of the food [8].The crushing process It increases the nutritional value of the feed by reducing the size of its constituent particles, and this leads to an increase in the surface area of the components of the feed material ingested and thus facilitates the process of digestion [9].The surface area and thus increased exposure to enzymes and microbes [10].Also, the process of grinding or crushing grains is necessary for the proper mixing process with other ingredients [11].It is also noted that the heavy milling process may have a negative effect on livestock through increased starch fermentation and raising the level of starch, which affects acidity in the rumen [12].Previous studies in ruminants have shown that the physical form of primary feeds can influence their palatability and intake [13], and be critical for physical development and rumen metabolism [14], nutrient digestibility [15], animal weight gain (16), and conversion ratio.fodder [17], and weaning age [16].

Materials and Methods
This experiment was conducted in the animal field of the Department of Animal Production / College of Agriculture -University of Diyala and external laboratories (College of Veterinary Medicine, in situational Animal Care and use committee, ethical approval No. Um.VET.2021.5)for the period from 1/8/2020 to 1/12/2021.It was divided into two periods, the first period was from 1/8 to 1/10 and the second period was from 1/10 to 10/1 1/12.In this study, 18 male Awassi sheep were purchased from local markets, at the age of (4-5) months, with an average starting weight of 25 ± 4.66 kg.In this experiment, the group feeding system was followed, as the lambs were numbered and placed in a covered barn divided into 3 barns, each measuring 4 x 6 square meters, randomly distributed into three groups, each group containing six lambs.Each barn was equipped with plastic troughs and manholes.Clean water was provided continuously, as the three groups were as follows.First group (control): I was given concentrated feed at a rate of 2.5%.From the live weight of the animal in the form of whole grains + hay to saturation, the second group: was given concentrated feed at a rate of 2.5% of the live animal weight in the form of (50% whole grains + 50% crushed grains) + hay to saturation, the third group: they were given concentrated feed By 2.5% of the weight of the live animal crushed grain + T bin until satiation.Where there was a preparatory period without any treatments for a period of 14 days.Where the proportions and chemical composition of the feed provided were as shown in Table (1).The initial weight of the lambs was taken at the beginning of the experiment, then weighed at the beginning of every two weeks until the end of the experiment period of 120 days, and the weights and weight gain were taken as follows: Total weight gain rate (kg) = final weight -initial weight Average daily weight gain (g/day) = total weight gain / number of days of the experiment Also, coarse feed consumption was measured by weighing the coarse feed provided, subtracting the remainder in the feeders the next day, and extracting the amount ingested.The efficiency of feed conversion was measured as follows: the efficiency of feed conversion = total feed consumed (concentrated and coarse based on the total ingested matter kg / animal) / weight gain Kidney (kg / animal).To measure the characteristics of the rumen, the rumen fluid was collected at the end of the experiment by means of an American-made plastic stomach feeding tube, which works to withdraw the rumen fluid by itself.To facilitate and speed up the withdrawal process, a large syringe was placed in the head of the tube measuring 50 ml.The rumen fluid was withdrawn and the rumen fluid was placed in a plastic tube bearing a number specific to each animal.The samples were placed in bags and the samples were frozen for the purpose of later analysis.It was kept frozen at a temperature of -20 C until measurements are taken.The process of measuring the pH of the rumen fluid samples drawn by a rubber tube was carried out, and the pH was measured immediately after the withdrawal process in order to ensure the accuracy of the measurement for all experimental animals, using a device (Ph Meter).The concentration of total volatile fatty acids was analyzed, after the rumen fluid samples were removed from the freezer, thawed and filtered through the electric separator at a speed of 3000 cycles for a period of 20 minutes.and the method for determining volatile fatty acids according to the method suggested by [19] by steam distillation with acid and pulverization against base.The concentration of ammonia nitrogen was measured in rumen fluid samples after they were dissolved using the magnesium oxide distillation method [20].The experimental data were analyzed statistically by the ready-made program [21] according to the complete randomized design (CRD).

Results and Discussion
In Table (2), we notice a significant superiority of the coarse fodder consumption characteristic of the third group given 100% crushed grain compared to the second group (50% crushed grain + 50% whole) and the first group (100% whole grain), where the coarse fodder consumption values reached 273.50 and 267.50 and 238.50 g for the first, second and third groups, respectively.These results are consistent with what was stated by [22] When he conducted an experiment on thirty merino lambs, they were divided into three groups, and the first group was given whole corn, the second group ground corn, and the third group soft corn, where he found a significant superiority (p≤0.05) for the treatments that were fed ground corn over the treatments that were fed whole corn and whole corn in turn.It was superior to soft corn and its values were respectively as follows (90.01, 90.05, 90.01).Also, we note in Table (2) that there are no significant differences for the type of diet on the consumption of concentrated feed.And they agreed in a study conducted by [23], where he replaced whole corn grains with corn flour with high concentrations, as there was no significant or noticeable decrease in the consumption of the provided feed.This result agreed with [24] when it was studied on seventeen male lambs with an average initial weight of 20 ± 5 kg.They were distributed randomly into three treatments, where the first treatment consisted of ground corn only, and the second treatment consisted of 50% ground and 50% complete.The third was 100% complete for a period of 60 days, where the feed consumption was not affected in all the days of the experiment except for days 31-60, where the third and second treatments were higher (P≤0.0512%) than the first treatment, which consisted of ground sorghum.We note In Table (2), there are no differences for the type of diet on the efficiency of feed conversion, and this is consistent with what he found [25] when conducting an experiment on twenty male lambs.This is consistent with what he came with [26][27][28].The effect of feed particle size on consumption is not clear, and we often get conflicting results due to digestibility, feed quality, and other reasons not associated with feed particle size [29].N.S N.S * Significant N.S means that there are no significant differences between the means*.Different letters within one column mean that there are significant differences between the means.
The results showed in Table (3) that there was a significant effect (p≤0.0.5),where the first period was superior to the second period in terms of daily and total weight gain.The results showed that there was a significant effect (p≤0.0.5) of feeding on the daily weight gain, where the first treatment, which consisted of whole grains, was superior to the third treatment, while there was no significant difference between the first treatment and the second treatment.The effect of nutrition on the total weight gain was shown.From the results, there was a significant effect (p≤0.0.5),where the first and second treatment outperformed the third treatment.Also, we note that there is no significant effect of the interaction between the first period and the type of feeding on the daily weight gain, and we note that there is a significant effect on the total weight gain, as the first and second treatment outperformed the third treatment.There was a significant difference between the first and second feeding, and also there was no significant difference between the second and third treatment.As for the characteristic of total weight gain, the first treatment was significantly superior (p≤0.0.5) to the third treatment, and the second treatment was superior to the third treatment, while there was no Significant difference between the first and second treatment.As for the level of overlap between nutrition and the two periods, there was a significant superiority in the overlap between the first period and nutrition in terms of daily and total weight gain.This is consistent with what was stated by Li B and others (2021) through his experiment that he conducted on 24 male sheep, and they were divided into two groups.They were fed on granulated feed compared to the second group that was fed on non-grained feed 19%.And it agrees with what he found in an experiment he conducted [22] on thirty merino lambs divided into groups, where he gave the first group whole corn grains, the second group ground corn grains, and the third group soft corn grains.Days and after that, the lambs were measured and the required data were recorded, and it was concluded that there was no effect on the daily weight gain.As for the total weight gain, it was found that there was a significant superiority for the type of feed provided.The first treatment, which consisted of whole grains of corn, was superior to the rest of the other treatments.The experiment is in months in which the temperatures are high and others are moderate, and the lambs may suffer from a state of heat stress, and a series of radical changes may occur in the biological functions, which include a decrease in the intake and utilization of feed, disturbances in drinking water, protein, energy, enzymatic reactions, and other changes that affect the results [30].
Table 3.The effect of periods and type of feeding on the daily and total weight gain of Awassi lambs*.

Total weight gain
Daily weight gain Effect type 10.388±0.134a1.890±0.056afirst period periods 7.388±0.371b1.114±0.044bsecond period 10.000±0.460a1.692±0.111aeffect of the first feeding nutrition 9.250±0.578a1.540±0.126abeffect of the second feeding 7.416±0.542b1.325±0.121beffect of the third feeding 11.000±0.447a1.960±0.080afirst feeding The overlap between the first period and type of feeding 10.833±0.477a1.930±0.085asecond feeding 9.333±0.494b1.781±0.121aThird feeding 8.500±0.619bc1.283±0.095bfirst feeding The overlap between the second period and type of feeding 7.666±0.494c1.151±0.488bcsecond feeding 6.000±0.365d1.010±0.031cThird feeding Different letters within one column mean that there are significant differences between the means.* The results showed in Table (4) the presence of significant differences for the type of diet on the rumen PH, where the first treatment was superior to the rest of the treatments, and this is consistent with the findings of [31] The treatment that was fed whole grains was superior to the other treatments.This study agreed with an experiment conducted by [32] on 92 Holstein calves (52 males and 40 females), where they were given four groups of corn, which are in the form of whole corn (WC), rolled or dry corn (DRC), roasted corn (RC), and maize Peeled (SFC), where the pH value of the group fed whole corn increased compared to the other groups, and the reason was attributed to the temporary moderate storage of the untreated grain, and this is consistent with the findings [33].This study agreed with another study conducted by [34] on sheep also by presenting grains in different forms, ground, whole and partially ground.A significant superiority was noted for the rumen pH.The diet provided in the form of crushed grains was significantly superior.Which leads to a decrease in the pH in the rumen at least after a short period after feeding.In a study conducted by [35] on Holstein cows, by presenting corn to them in three forms, which are in the form of whole corn, coarsely ground, and completely ground, it was noted that a significant effect of the size of corn particles on the average pH was observed, while ammonia nitrogen did not change, as well-ground feed excelled.He attributed the difference in the results in the different experiments to the size of corn particles during the grinding process, to the conditions of the experiment, and to the type of experimental animals used.4) that there are no significant differences for the type of diet on nitrogenammonia, and this is what [31] reached, that there were no significant effects when feeding Awassi lambs on granulated and crushed fodder, and this is consistent with what was reached [36] on four Holstein heads with an average It weighed about 592 kg.It was given four different diets in particle size.Each one was presented with a specific type, respectively, TMR control, WC whole grains of corn, CC coarsely ground corn grains, and FC well ground corn grains to see their effect on ammonia nitrogen, where they found no significant differences.For transactions on ammonia nitrogen.Also, we note in Table ( 4) that there is no significant effect of the type of diet on volatile fatty acids.These results are consistent with what was found by [37].Where it was divided into three groups, each group consisted of seven replicates, where the first group was given an integrated mashed diet, the second group was given an integrated diet in the form of whole grains, and the third group was given a mixture of the first and second groups, where they did not find a significant effect of the diets provided on volatile fatty acids, as their values were on respectively (101.2, 100.1, 102.4).The results agree with what he found [38] in an experiment he conducted on 24 Afshari lambs x Karadi with an initial weight of 25.2 ± 1.2 kg for a period of 125 days to see the effect of two types of grains provided, where the first group was whole grains.The second group consisted of mashed grains, where the experimental animals were distributed randomly to the two treatments, as it did not find an effect of the physical form of the grains provided on the volatile fatty acids.Also, these results are consistent with what was found [39] in an experiment conducted on six sheep as Bangladeshi Arol, with an average weight of 8 ± 0.5 kg, at the age of 1 year, was divided into two groups.The first group was fed 6 mm crushed fodder, and the second group was whole grain fodder, as there was no significant difference for the type of fodder provided on volatile fatty acids.Table 4. Effect of feeding type on rumen fluid characteristics*.

Conclusions
Through the results, it was found that grain size had an effect on the amount of coarse fodder consumed And the absence of a significant effect of grain size on the efficiency of feed conversion, and the absence of a significant effect of grain size on the amount of concentrated concentrated feed in the overall experiment, and a significant effect of the periods was found on the daily and total weight gain, and a significant effect of feeding was found on the daily and total weight gain, as the first treatment excelled.Also, we note that there is no significant effect of the interaction between the first period and the type of feeding on the daily weight gain, and we note that there is a significant effect on the total weight gain, as the first and second treatment outperformed the third treatment.There was a significant difference between the first and second feeding, and also there was no significant difference between the second and third treatment.As for the characteristic of total weight gain, the first treatment was significantly superior (p≤0.0.5) to the third treatment, and the second treatment was superior to the third treatment, while there was no Significant difference in the first and second treatments, and we note that there are significant differences for the type of diet on the rumen PH, where the first treatment outperformed the rest of the treatments.Also, it was noted that there were no significant differences for the type of diet on nitrogen-ammonia, and there was no significant effect of the type of diet on volatile fatty acids.

Table 1 .
Percentages and chemical composition of the fodder materials included in the composition of the concentrated diet based on the dry matter%*.
[18]culated from the chemical analysis table for Iraqi feed materials[18].

Table 2 .
Effect of concentrated diet type on feed consumption and feed conversion efficiency of Awassi lambs*.