The current study examined the effects of probiotics (Pronifer and More-yeast) supplementation to growing lambs. 25 crossbred (Osimi×Rahmani) growing lambs of about 6-8 months age and an average initial live body weight of 25 kg were used. Lambs divided into five groups (5 lambs for each group) and the experimental period lasted for 169 days. The control group T 1 received concentrate feed mixture (CFM), group T 2 and T 3 received 1.5 and 3 kg Pronifer/Mg (megagram) CFM and group T 4 and T 5 received 2.5 and 5 kg More-yeast/ Mg CFM, respectively. Rumen liquor and blood samples were taken and digestibility trial was conducted at the end of the experiment. Results showed higher digestibility values for crude protein (P<0.05) in T 3 and T 4 when compared to control. Nutritive ratio was lower (P<0.05) in groups T 3 and T 4 than in group T 2 . More-yeast supplementation improved dry matter intake (P<0.001), while a reverse trend was observed with Pronifer supplementation. All treatments had little effect on ruminal liquor except ruminal ammonia concentration in T 5 was lower (P<0.05) than other treatments. The differences in most blood plasma parameters due to treatment effect were not significant, except plasma urea and globulin concentrations increased (P<0.05) with T 5 treatment. The obtained results appear to indicate that Moreyeast supplementation improved lambs performance and digestibility, whereas, Pronifer supplementation enhanced digestibility.Keywords: probiotics, performance, rumen activity, blood constituents and growing lambs Tierzucht 54 (2011) 6, 607-617, ISSN 0003-9438 © Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology, Dummerstorf, Germany Hillal et al.: Effect of growth promoters (probiotics) supplementation on performance in growing

his experiment was carried out at a private rabbit farm under supervision of Banha University Animal Feed Professors duration time from May to July 2014 on 48New Zealand white young male rabbits at 6 weeks of age and about 675 to 717 grams live body weight were divided into four groups (each group contains 12 male rabbits and three replicates) to investigate the effect of feeding different levels of dried water hyacinth leaves and stems (0, 25, 50, 75% of Egyptian clover Hay) on rabbits growth and digestibility during 8 weeks of experiment. The results showed non-significant effects on rabbits live body weight and feed intake during 8 weeks of experiment for different levels of water hyacinth. Best final body weight in control group followed by second group, third group and first group of rabbits were 2045, 2008, 1938 and 1896 grams, respectively. Rabbits average daily weight gain, feed conversion and economical feed efficiency during all experiment duration showed a significant (P‹0.05) different between feeding groups. Highly daily gain in control group followed by second group, third group and first group of rabbits were 24.62, 23.08, 22.13 and 20.56 grams, respectively. Rabbits of the second feeding group (feeding 25% water hyacinth) gave the significant worst average feed conversion (3.56 feed/gain), while control group recorded the best one (3.06 feed/gain). Present results conclude that, dried water hyacinth leaves and stems may be used as a feed for rabbits to replace 50% water hyacinth of clover hay in concentrate feed mixture without negative effect on rabbits growth, feed conversion, economic efficiency and digestibility.

his experiment was carried out at a private rabbit farm under supervision of Benha University Animal Feed Professors, duration time from May to July 2014 on 48 New Zealand White young male rabbits at 6 weeks of age and 696 grams average live body weight. Rabbits were divided into four groups (each group contains 12 NZW rabbits,with three replicates) for the 8 weeks feeding period to investigate the effect of feeding different levels (0, 25, 50 and 75% from Egyptian clover) of sun dried water hyacinth on carcass traits and some blood components. The results showed no significant differences between means of live condition scores, carcass weight and dressing percentage due to the feeding groups effect, carcass cuts and offals weight were not significant except for the fur and legs weight (P<0.05). Chemical analysis of meat showed no significant differences between feeding rabbits groupsexcept for the ash% (P<0.001). Blood components of feeding rabbits exhibited significant differences (P<0.001) for plasma albumin, globulin and total lipids.Present results conclude that, dried water hyacinth leaves and stems may be used as a feed for rabbits to replace 50% of clover hay in concentrate feed mixture without negative effects on carcass and blood components of growing rabbits.

A total number of 42 male New Zealand white (NZW) rabbits at the age of 14 weeks were randomly divided into seven experimental groups (6 male for each) to study the effect of adding dried onion (DO) and garlic (DG) on nutrients digestibility , caecotrophy and caecum activity. Rabbits were fed a basal diet supplemented with different levels of DO and DG as follows: 1) control group (CG), 2) CG+1 % DO, 3) CG+1.5 % DO, 4) CG+1% DG, 5) CG+1.5 % DG, 6) CG +0.5 % DO+0.5% DG, 7) CG +0.75% DO +0.75 % DG, respectively. All diets were formulated to be isonitrogenous and iso-caloric. The obtained data showed that dry matter intake did not significantly differ among dietary treatments as well as it was similar for collared rabbits compared with those uncollared. The CP digestibility coefficient was significantly (p<0.05) higher for rabbits fed diets included 1.5 % DG, 1.5 % DO, 0.5 % DO+ 0.5% DG and 1 % DG than those fed either control diet or other groups. Rabbits fed 0.5% Do + 0.5% DG diet recorded significantly higher CF digestibility (P<0.05) than the other treated groups. The nutritive values expressed as TDN%, DE and ME Kcal/Kg DM of diet supplemented with 0.5% DO +0.5% DG were significantly (p<0.05) higher than those fed 1% Do. The DCP% for 1.5% DO, 1% DG, 1.5%DG and 0.5% DO+0.5% DG diets was significantly (p<0.05) higher than 1% DO, 0.75% DO+0.75%DG and control groups. The digestibility coefficients of all nutrients as well as nutritive values of tested diets were similar between uncollared and collared groups .Treatment groups showed significant (p<0.05) increase in Bacterial total count compared with the control group.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of antibiotic, oregano essential oil and garlic powder as feed additives in quail diets on the productive performance. A total number of 540 unsexed one week old Japanese chicks were randomly distributed into nine experimental treatments, each of 60 birds (3 replicates of 20 birds each). Chicks of the 1 st experimental group were fed on basal diet without additives and considered as a control group. Chicks of the 2 nd and 3 rd experimental groups were fed on basal diets supplemented with Oxytetracycline at levels of 0.5 and 1.0 g/kg diet, respectively. Chicks of the 4 th , 5 th and 6 th groups were fed on basal diets supplemented with oregano essential oil (OEO) at levels of 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 g/kg diet, respectively. While, chicks of the 7 th , 8 th and 9 th groups were fed basal diets supplemented with garlic powder (GP) at levels of 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3 g/kg diet, respectively. The present results showed that highly significant differences (p≤0.001) were found in the average body weight (LBW), body weight gain (BWG), growth rate (GR), feed intake (FI), feed conversion (FC), carcass traits, mortality rate, economic efficiency (EE) and the total microbial population count in small intestine. The highest significant improvement in (LBW), (BWG), (GR), (FI), (FC), carcass traits, (EE) and the lowest intestine pathogenic populations content and mortality rate were observed in the group of chicks that were fed diet supplemented with OEO at levels of 1.5 and 1.0 g/kg diet, respectively compared with the other experimental groups and the control group, followed by those that were fed diet supplemented with 0.2 g/kg GP. However, from the economic point of view, it could be concluded that feeding on the basal diet supplemented with GP level of 0.2 g/kg diet showed lower feed cost than feeding basal diet supplemented with OEO at both levels 1.5 and 1.0 g/kg diet. It was clear from the obtained results that the control chicks had the lowest productive performance and the higher mortality rate. Therefore, it could be recommended to use OEO at levels of 1.5 and 1.0 g/kg diet and GP at levels 0.2 g/kg diet as growth promoters instead of antibiotics, to improve the productive performance and the economic efficiency of quails.