Effect of increasing levels of wasted date palm in concentrate diet on reproductive performance of Ouled Djellal breeding rams during flushing period

Abstract

Aim: The aim of the study was to assess the effect of two levels of wasted date (WD) by replacing commercial concentrate on the reproductive performance of Ouled Djellal (OD) rams. Materials and Methods: Eighteen mature (2-year-old) OD rams were equally allocated to three groups and fed during 11 weeks with one of three different experimental diets, that contained 0% (0 WD), 50% (50 WD), or 75% (75 WD) of WDs in concentrate diet. Live body weight (LBW), body condition scoring (BCS), scrotal circumference (SC), testicular weight (TW), sperm production and quality, plasma testosterone concentration (T), and sexual behavior (reaction time and number of mounts with ejaculation) were regularly recorded from every ram. Results: LBW, SC, and TW changed significantly among diet groups and during the experimental period (p0.05) between diet groups for plasma testosterone concentration and semen attributes, except that (50 WD) group expressed the lowest overall value of semen concentration. Furthermore, neither time nor diet affected (p>0.05) sperm motility and reproductive behavior parameters. Conclusion: It is possible to introduce WD as unconventional local feeding resources in flushing diet of breeding rams without disturbing their reproductive performance.

Keywords

• body weight
• flushing period
• rams
• semen
• wasted date