USING PLANTS AND PLANT EXTRACTS AS MODIFIERES OF RUMEN FERMENTATION PROCESS IN LACTATING ANIMALS RATION

Abstract

The current study was carried out at EL-Gemiza experimental station farm of Animal Production Research Institute, Agriculture research center, Ministry of Agriculture, Egypt. And the lab of Dairy Animal production, National Research Center. The field work was started in September, 2019 and lasted for 9 weeks. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of using two medicinal plants namely Marjoram (Origanummajorana L.) and Basil (OcimumBasilicum L.) as a natural feed additives in dairy goats’ diets on the animal health and milk production (quantity and quality). The study included two parts: The first experiment was designed to detect the effect of using five levels of the plant and essential oils of Marjoram (Origanummajorana L.) or Basil (OcimumBasilicum L.) as a natural feed additive on ruminal fermentation, total gas production, ammonia nitrogen concentration, dry matter and cell wall contents (NDF and ADF) digestibility. The second experiment was to study the effect of adding Basil or Marjoram oils in ruminant rations as feed additives in rations of 30 Damascus goats on feed intake, nutrient digestibility, some parameters of blood or milk. 1-Laboratory study The basal diet consisted of a total mixed ration (TMR) in all treatments, the experimental treatments were: 50% CFM, 50% alfalfa hay