Author(s)

Ayman Ahmed Hassan, Ghada Mostafa El Ashry, Soliman Mohamed Soliman

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This study was carried out at the Noubaria Station, Animal Production Research Institute. Twelve Barki ewes at 3 - 4 years of age 45 ± 1.5 kg body weight were used in the present investigations. Animals were stratified for their initial body weight and age. Each group was composed of 4 pregnant animals at three months. All animals were housed in semi open pens in which water was ad-libitum. The first diet contains the basal diet plus 25 mg of Zn/kg DM as (ZnSO₄·7H₂O). The second and the third diets contain the basal diet plus 15 and 25 mg of Zn/kg DM as (Zn methionine, (ZnMet)) respectively. The inorganic Zn (ZnSO₄·7H₂O) caused a significant decline (P < 0.05) in digestibility coefficients, nutritive value, nitrogen utilization, Cell wall constituents, total VFA’s, rumen volume, microbial nitrogen synthesis and milk composition and yield compared to the both organic Zn (ZnMet). While, organic Zn (ZnMet) caused a significant decline (P < 0.05) in glucose and urea compared to the inorganic Zn (ZnSO₄·7H₂O). But inorganic or organic zinc did not cause any effect on the serum total protein (TP), albumin (A) concentration, globulin, creatinine, aspartates aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT). The inorganic Zn (ZnSO₄·7H₂O) caused a significant decline (P < 0.05) in the antioxidants activity (GSH, GSH-Px, SOD and MDA) compared to the both organic Zn (ZnMet).

Inorganic Zn, Organic Zn, Digestibility Coefficients, Nutritive Value, Nitrogen Utilization, Milk Yield, Antioxidants Activity

A. Hassan, G. Ashry and S. Soliman, "Effect of Supplementation of Chelated Zinc on Milk Production in Ewes," Food and Nutrition Sciences, Vol. 2 No. 7, 2011, pp. 706-713. doi: 10.4236/fns.2011.27097.