Effect of dietary probiotics supplementation on intake and production performance of ewes fed Atriplex hay-based diet

The present study was carried out to evaluate the effects of probiotics on intake, performance, rumen fermentation and blood metabolites of Barki ewes fed Atriplex hay based diet. Thirty pregnant Barki ewes with an average initial body weight (BW) of 45.5 ± 0.98 kg, were blocked according to lambing date and BW into three experimental groups. The treatments were: (1) control diet, (2) control diet + 2 g Saccharomyces cerevisiae (2 × 1010 CFU) per day and (3) control diet + 2 g Bacillus subtilis (1.0 × 1011 CFU/kg) and Lactobacillus casei (1 × 1010 CFU/kg) per day. Probiotics inclusion increased dry matter, organic matter, crude protein and neutral detergent fiber intakes (P < 0.05) but did not affect body weight, milk yield, milk composition or efficiency (milk/dry matter intake). The bacteria diet increased average daily weight gain of lambs (P < 0.05) compared to the yeast and control diets. Compared with the control, the probiotic diets increased (P < 0.05) ruminal ammonia-N concentration. The pH and total volatile fatty acids concentration were not influenced by probiotic supplementation. Blood urea nitrogen was increased (P < 0.05) and total lipids and triglycerides were decreased (P < 0.05) with probiotics supplementation. All the other blood parameters were not affected. The present study demonstrated that supplementing ewes fed Atriplex hay based diets with probiotic bacteria resulted in higher weaning weight, average daily weight gain and improved health status in lambs.