The effect of estrus synchronization treatments on somatic cell count of transitional-anestrus Awassi ewes' milk

Postpartum injection with vitamin E and selenium failed to improve the performance of Awassi ewes and their lambs

Awawdeh, M. S., Talafha, A. Q. and Obeidat, B. S. 2015. Postpartum injection with vitamin E and selenium failed to improve the performance of Awassi ewes and their lambs. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 95: 111–115. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of vitamin E and Se injection of nursing Awassi ewes on the performance of ewes (body weight change, milk yield, and composition) and their lambs (growth rate and weaning weight). Twenty-eight Awassi ewes were randomly assigned upon lambing to one of two groups; Control (n=13) and Inject (n=15), where ewes received 0 (control) or 15 plus 0.05 mg kg−1 BW of vitamin E and Se, respectively (inject). Intramuscular injections were given at 1 and 4 wk postpartum. Body weight (BW) of ewes and their lambs were recorded at lambing and at 2, 4, 6, and 8 wk postpartum. Milk yield and composition were measured at 2, 4, and 6 wk postpartum and somatic cell count (SCC) was evaluated weekly (from lambing through 8 wk). Injecting nursing ewes with vitamin E and Se had no effects (P≥0.10) on BW change of ewes, milk yield and composition, composition yields, or milk SCC. Injecting nursing ewes with vitamin E and Se had no significant effects (P≥0.29) on weaning weight, BW gain, or growth rate of their lambs. Under conditions similar to the current study, injecting nursing Awassi ewes with vitamin E and Se at 1 and 4 wk postpartum was not effective in improving the performance of ewes and their suckling lambs. Such observations could be attributed to the time of supplementation (pre- or post-partum) and/or the adequate basal vitamin E status in ewes.

Preliminary comparison of different immune and production components in local and imported Saanen goats reared under a sub-tropical environment

Three objectives were included in this research work. The first objective compared different immune components in healthy mature males, mature females, and female kids of local and imported Saanen goats, reared under a sub-tropical environment. The significantly differing immune components were the blood monocyte percent, blood CD8 count, and the total white blood cell count. The second objective compared the performance of Saanen versus local does. The means of the milk yield and prolificacy of the imported Saanen does were significantly higher than those of the local does (p<0.05). The third objective compared the immune responses (hemagglutination-HA titers) and complement fixation (CF) titers in mature does of the two breeds to chicken red blood cells (c-RBC). The HA titers showed a significant seroconversion only in imported Saanen (p<0.05) but not in local does; however, the CF titers increased significantly at 4 weeks following priming with c-RBC in local (p<0.05) but not in the imported Saanen does. The impact of the differences in blood immune components and responses to antigens in the compared goats on protection potential against prevalent diseases in the sub-tropical zone of the eastern Mediterranean countries is discussed.