Three digestibility trials were conducted using three steers for each; which were with average body weight 392 ± 3.3 kg and 18 month of age. The experimental rations were formulated as follows: ration 1 (R1) 81.8% concentrate feed mixture (CFM) + 18.2% clover hay (CH) (control), ration 2 (R2): 81.55% CFM + 18.05% CH + 0.40% seaweed (S) and ration 3 (R3): 81.23% CFM + 17.87% CH + 0.90% S. The results showed that there were no significant effect of feeding the experimental rations on the digestion coefficients for all nutrients and feeding values, but the digestion coefficients of OM, NFE, ADF, cellulose, ADL, NFC, TDN%, ME (Mcal/kg DM) and NE (Mcal/kg DM) were higher when feeding on R2 or R3 than R1. The predicted values using net carbohydrate and protein system (CNCPS) showed that the sugar and starch fermentation were 276.6 and 729.4 g / d, respectively with feeding R1, 277 and 731.4 g / d, respectively for R2 and 277.6 and 737.2 g/d, respectively for R3. The total microbial protein was 1006, 1008.4 and 1014.8 g/d when feeding on R1, R2 and R3, respectively. The mean values of ruminal pH, buffering capacity (BC), VFA's were not significant affected by the different dietary treatments, while the concentration of NH3-N (mg/100 ml RL) tended to increase (p<0.05) when animals were fed on R2 or R3 (13.74 and 14.20 mg/100 ml RL, respectively) than R1 (11.82 mg/100 ml RL). The present study showed that, the dry matter intake and nutrients digestibility were improved by supplemented seaweed but the total VFA's was higher with feeding on 81.55% CFM + 18.05% CH + 0.40 % seaweed (S) than the other rations.

Three mature male ruminally canulated sheep were fed at 90% of their ad libitum intake. The three control rations, one from each tested roughage were formulated along with concentrate feed mixture CFM at the commonly practiced ratio being: 30% rice straw RS + 70 CFM 30% maize stalks MS + 70 CFM 40% clover straw CS + 60 CFM With the objective of increasing the use of roughage, six tested diets were formulated two from each roughage by almost doubling their ratio as in the respective control diets and reducing the traditional CFM as a protein supplement to less than one half by either quality soybean meal SBM ,10% or equivalent urea U, 1.2% as follows: 1. 60 % RS + 30% CFM + 10% SBM 2. 60 % RS + 38.8% CFM + 1.2% U 3. 60 % MS + 30% CFM + 10% SBM 4. 60 % MS + 38.8% CFM + 1.2% U 5. 75 % CS + 17% CFM + 8% SBM 6. 75 % CS + 24 % CFM + 1.0% U These proportions were chosen to achieve iso-nitrogenous diets containing about 12% CP necessary for optimal utilization and fermentation of roughages in the rumen rskov et al., 1972.The in situ dry matter disappearance DMD values increased significantly P<0.01 when feeding on CS than MS or RS 50.63, 40.24 and 34.17%, respectively and the neutral detergent fiber disappearance NDFD% increased significantly P<0.01 when feeding on CS than MS or RS 29.81, 28.48 and 27.49%, respectively. The acid detergent fiber disappearance ADFD% followed the same trend of NDF disappearance %. The potential degradability a+b of DM for CS and MS were higher P<0.01 than RS 56.72, 56.37 and 54.08, respectively. The potential degradability a+b of NDF for MS was higher significantly P<0.01 than RS and CS (53.32, 48.32 and 37.91%, respectively). The potential degradability (a+b) of Mehrez, A.Z. et al. 6760ADF for MS and RS were higher (P<0.01) than CS (55.64, 55.08 and 47.05, respectively).The mean rumen volatile fatty acids (VFA) values increased significantly (P<0.01) when feeding on MS than CS or RS (9.30, 8.68 and 8.5 ml Eql/100 ml RL, respectively), and the concentration of NH3 was higher (P<0.01) when feeding on MS than CS or RS (18.86, 16.4 and 15.71 mg/100 ml RL, respectively).The DMD% increased significantly when added CFM+U than CFM+SBM or CFM (42.85, 41.93 and 40.26, respectively). The NDFD and ADFD% followed the same trend in DMD (29.74, 28.36 and 27.69, respectively), and (35.97, 35.08 and 34.91, respectively). The potential degradability (a+b) of DM increased significantly (P<0.01) when added CFM+U or CFM+SBM than CFM (56.83, 56.65 and 53.69%, respectively). The potential degradability (a+b) of NDF increased significantly when added CFM+SBM than CFM+U or CFM (48.4, 46.59 and 44.63%, respectively). The potential degradability (a+b) of ADF increased significantly when added CFM+SBM than CFM or CFM+U (56.75, 51.65 and 49.37%, respectively). The buffering capacity (BC) values increased significantly (P<0.01) when added CFM+U than CFM or CFM+SBM (11.03, 10.26 and 9.64 ml Eq./100ml RL, respectively). The VFA values were increased significantly (P<0.01) when ...

Twelve male Friesian steers with average body weight 269+ 9 kg and 15 month of age were used in this study. Steers were distributed into three groups similar in number. The experimental rations were formulated as follows: ration 1 (R1) 81.8% concentrate feed mixture (CFM) + 18.2% clover hay (CH) (control), ration 2 (R2): 81.55% CFM + 18.05% CH + 0.40% seaweed (S) and ration 3 (R3): 81.23% CFM + 17.87% CH + 0.90% S. The results obtained showed that the mean values of blood parameters were not significantly affected by the feeding on R1 or R2 or R3. The concentration of urea-N in blood was decreased with feeding on R2 and R3 than feeding on R1. The average daily gains were 0.81, 1.00 and 0.83 kg/d for steers fed on R1, R2 and R3, respectively. The production efficiency was higher when feeding on R2 (24.04 %) than feeding on R1 or R3 (20.97 and 19.17%, respectively), and the economic efficiency, was higher when feeding on R2 (25.39 %) than feeding on R1 or R3 (13.3 and 3.94 %, respectively). In general, the results indicated that feeding ration at a level 81.55% CFM + 18.05% CH + 0.4% S for fattening Friesian steers was economically improved animal performance compared with the other two rations.

Twenty seven weaning New Zealand White (NZW)rabbits of seven weeks old of about 813 g live body weight was randomly distributed into nine groups (three rabbits in each). The experimental groups were fed randomly on one of the nine formulated experimental rations used. The 1 st ration (R1) was used as a control, which contained: 10 % yellow corn+10 % barley+ 13.7 % soybean meal (SBM) + 20 % wheat bran + 40 % clover hay + 3 % molasses+1.0 % calcium diphosphate +1.2 % limestone + 0.5 % sodium chloride+0.4% minerals-vitamins mixture+0.2 % methionine. The substituting (equal parts) from barley and SBM by 10 % and 20 % distiller's dried grains with soluble (DDGS) for ration 2 (R2) and ration 3 (R3), respectively. The supplemented seaweed (SW) for these rations was at tow levels subtracted from the wheat bran. The first level was 0.5 % seaweed for rations R4, R5 and R6. The second level was 1.0 % seaweed for rations R7, R8 and R9. All rations were nearly isonitrogenous and isocaloric. Blood plasma samples were collected from all rabbits after overnight fasting at 7, 9, 11 and 13 weeks to determine glucose, thyroxin (T 4) and triiodothyronine (T 3). A representative part (5 cm) from the small intestine was dissected immediately after slaughtering the three rabbits in each group to determine glucose absorption rates. The results of the present study revealed that there was no significant effect with feeding on DDGS with or without SW on glucose absorption. The 42 EMAN MAKLAD et al. mean values for glucose absorption were ranged from 0.39 to 0.44 (mg/hr), with feeding on the experimental rations. Rabbit's group fed on 10 % DDGS with 1.0 % SW recorded the highest significant value of blood glucose (132 mg / 100 ml) followed by R4 (fed on 0.0 % DDGS with 0.5 % SW, where the lowest value (109.42 mg / 100 ml) was detected for R2 (fed on 10 % DDGS without SW). There was no significant effect on T4 concentrations with feeding on the experimental rations. The mean values were ranged from 13.70 to 17.92 ng/ml. The highest values were observed with feeding on R8 followed by R9, while the lowest value was observed with feeding on R1. The same trend was observed in T3 concentrations. The mean values were ranged from 3.5 to 4.46 ng/ml. In generally, the T4: T3 ratio was about 4: 1 with feeding the experimental rations.

Thirty, 14 weeks of age New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits with an average live body weight (LBW) of 2.0 Kg were divided into 10 similar groups (3 in each). The rabbits were housed in a separate cage (3 rabbits in each). Ten pelleted experimental diets were contained two levels of sodium nitrate (0 and 2%). The other four tested feed additives were sodium sulfate, clay, yeast and prebiotic. Diets refers to as R2, R3, R4 and R5 were without sodium nitrate, but with feed additives, sodium sulphate, clay, yeast and prebiotic, respectively. While, diets R6, R7, R8, R9 and R10 were with sodium nitrate and R6 without feed additives but R7, R8, R9 and R10 were with the same feed additives, sodium sulphate, clay, yeast and prebiotic, respectively. The DCP % was higher with feeding on R1, R2 and R7, TDN % was higher with feeding with R1, DCP intake g/d with R1, R5 and R7, TDN intake g/d with R1, DE Kcal/Kg was higher with feeding on R4 and R9, DE intake Kcal/d with R1 and R4 while DEI/DCPI was increased with feeding on R4, R6 and R9. The effect of the feed additives, also showed that the total VFA increased (p < 0.05) without feed additives or with added Na2SO4 or clay than added prebiotic. The highest values were observed with feeding on R1, R2 and R7. The highest values of NH3 concentrations were observed with feeding on R3 and R8 diets.Protein concentration was higher with feeding on R4 or R10 than the others. Urea-N concentration was the highest with feeding on R7, while the creatinine concentration was increased with feeding on R9 compared with the other diets. When using the feed additives e.g. probiotic without sodium nitrate (R4) or with sodium nitrate (R9) caused improving effect on the feeding values of tested diets. However, diets R1 and R6 without or with sodium nitrate respectively showed the best results in case of nutrient digestibility and feed values as well as caecum fermentation and some blood parameters.