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Competing interestsNo potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported. Funding sourcesState funding sources (grants, funding sources, equipment, and supplies). Include name and number of grant if available.Not applicable.

Effects of a new generation of fish protein hydrolysate on performance, intestinal microbiology, and immunity of broiler chickens

To investigate the effect of feeding growing lambs on dried sugar beet pulp (DSBP) or/and dried sugar beet tops (DSBT) as replacement of concentrate feed mixture (CFN) or/and berseem hay (BH) on characteristics of puberty, testosterone profile, scrotal circumference and physical semen characteristics of ram lambs, 24 ram lambs (3/4 Romanof x % Rahmani) aged 5 mo with 23.46 kg average body weight were divided into four groups, 6 animals in each. Ram lambs in the 1 st group (G1) were fed on ration composed of 50% CFM+50% BH (control ration). Ration of the 2 nd , 3 rd and 4 th groups were as the following: G2: 25% CFM+25% DSBP+50% BH; G3: 25% CFM+25% DSBP+37.5% BH+12.5% DSBT and G4: 25% CFM+25% DSBP+25% BH+25% DSBT. Results show that the dietary treatment had no significant effects on puberty characteristics of ram lambs including age, body weight, scrotal circumference and testosterone concentration at different puberty stages (first mounting, mounting accompanied with erection and mounting accompanied with erection and ejaculation of 1 st sperm. The group differences in physical semen characteristics of the 1 st ejaculate at puberty including ejaculate volume (EV), percentage of initial motility (IM) and abnormal sperm (AS), sperm cell concentration (SCC), and output of live sperm (LS) and live normal sperm (LNS) were not significant. Only LS percentage in G3 decreased (P<0.05) as compared to G1 (control). Ram lambs in G4 fed mixed of 25% DSBP+25% DSBT showed higher (P<0.05) testosterone concentration and lower scrotal circumference than in G1. During the collection period of semen, EV and percentages of IM and AS were not affected significantly by dietary treatment. However, inclusion of 25% DSBP (G2) in diet of ram lambs decreased (P<0.05) percentage of LS and inclusion of 25% DSBP 25% DSBT (G4) increased (P<0.05) SCC/ejaculate and LNS output as compared to the control and other treatment groups. Output of TS increased (P<0.05) in G4 than in G2 and G3, but did not differ from that in the control group (G1). It could be concluded that inclusion of 25% dried sugar beet tops and 25% dried sugar beet pulp could be used successfully as a replacement of 25% of berseem hay ; and 25% of concentrate feed mixture in diet of ram lambs.

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