Effect of <i>Ficus sur</i> fruits supplementation on rumen ammonia nitrogen, pH concentration, and blood profile of Hararghe highland sheep fed natural pasture hay basal diets

Abstract

The experiment was conducted for 90 days in Haramaya University to evaluate the rumen ammonia nitrogen, rumen pH concentration,  and blood profile of Hararghe highland sheep consumed natural pasture hay (NPH) basal diet supplemented with varied proportions of ground Ficus sur fruits (FSF) and ground oats grain (OG) diets at isonitrogenous level provision of noug seed cake (NSC) (Gizotia  Abysinica). The treatment diets were ad libitum natural pasture hay (control); 100%FSF:0%OG [100FSF]; 67%FSF:33%OG [67FSF]; 33%FSF:67%OG [33FSF]; 0%FSF:100%OG [0FSF]. The experiment was laid out as a Randomized complete block design. Four animals from  each treatment were used to collect about 30-40ml of rumen fluid using stomach tube at 4 hours post feeding for ammonia nitrogen  (NH₃-N) and pH profile determination. Additional rumen fluid samples were taken at 0, 2, 4, 8, 12, and 24 hours post feeding for rumen  fluid pH dynamics determination. About 10 ml of blood sample was taken from jugular vein of the sheep and RBC, WBC and hemoglobin  concentration were determined by employing the Neubauer counting chamber. The packed cell volume (PCV) was determined by  spinning blood field capillary tubes in a microhematocrit centrifuge and reading the value on heamatocrit reader (model AIC 1490). Sera  components were determined using spectrophotometer and refractometer. The mean cell volume (MCV), mean cell haemoglobin (MCH),  and mean cell haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) were calculated from the PCV, Hb, and RBC count. The study indicated that feeding  Ficus sur fruits (FSF) at varied proportion with ground oats grain (OG) resulted in nearly neutral rumen liquor pH (7.12-7.24), optimum  NH3-N concentration (84.7-85.7mg/l), and normal count of WBC (11.5-12.713 /µl), RBC(11.0-11.516 /µl), optimum levels of PCV (36.7-40.8),  Hgb (11.8-13.3 g/dl), and sera metabolites, which all indicated healthy rumen and cardiovascular physiology. Hence, FSF can be used as a  source of energy ingredient, in replacement for OG, as the present study proved that it has positive effect on rumen environment and  blood profile of lambs.