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This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of a medical plant mixture and probiotic on performance, blood parameters, digestibility of some nutrients, and health status of suckling Holstein calves. Thirty newborn calves (1-10 days) with 42 ± 8 kg of average birth weight were used in a factorial arrangement (3 Â 2) with 6 treatments and 5 replicate. The treatments were: (1) control diet, (2) control diet þ2g probiotic per day, (3) control diet þ 1.5% medical plant, (4) control diet þ1.5% medical plant þ2g probiotic per day, (5) control diet þ 3% medical plant and (6) control diet þ3% medical plant þ2g probiotic per day. During first month, experimental factors have no effect on starter and hay intake, whereas total DMI was affected by herbal (H) effect in second month (p < .01). Calves fed on H1.5 diet had the highest starter and total DMI and calves fed on PH3 diet had the lowest value. Daily weight gain (DWG) was affected significantly by H (p < .01) whereas no effect from P was observed. Treatments had no significant effect on blood glucose, cholesterol and albumin content, whereas addition of H1.5 in starter feed increased beta-hydroxy butyric acid (BHBA) concentration in comparison to other groups (p < .05). In conclusion and based on better growth performance, it is recommended to feed H1.5 to milk suckling calves and feeding herbal additives with probiotic is not recommended. ARTICLE HISTORY

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BACKGROUND Dietary fats, fed to ruminant animals, have been observed to improve reproductive function. Sunflower oil is one of the richest sources of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), over 60% of which is linoleic acid (C18:2). With regard to recommendations for increased consumption of PUFAs, special emphasis has been given to the importance of consuming more antioxidants to prevent lipid peroxide formation. This study evaluated the effects of dietary n‐6 PUFAs and vitamin C (VC) in rams – in particular, on semen quality, blood metabolites, sperm lipids and overall fertility. RESULTS Diets supplemented with SFO and VC increased the proportion of motile sperms and their progressive motility improved (P < 0.01). Rams fed a diet containing SFO had an increased proportion of sperms with normal acrosomes in their semen samples (P < 0.01). The highest levels of lactate dehydrogenase activity (LDH) enzyme were found in control rams (2.60 U mL−1). Feeding SFO significantly affected blood triglyceride and cholesterol concentrations (P < 0.05). Diets containing SFO increased the proportion of C18:2c, C20:4, C20:3 and C22 in the sperm lipid composition (P < 0.05). Semen of SFO and VC‐fed rams was more fertile than that of control rams when it was artificially inseminated to ewes. CONCLUSION Feeding rams with supplemental SFO and VC increased semen quality and improved fertility rates. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry