Kobeisy,M1.; G. Abd El-Hafez1; S. Mousa1 and A. Kabak2
Animal Production Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
Animal Production Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Al-Azhar University, Assiut, Egypt
Abstract
This study was to investigate the influence of sugarcane bagasse silage treated with urea, live yeast and pronifer on serum testosterone concentration, testes size and semen quality of rams. Sixteen Rahmani rams were used in four feeding groups, untreated bagasse, 3% urea treated bagasse , urea and yeast (10 g per animal daily) treated bagasse and urea and pronifer ( 2 g per animal daily) treated bagasse. Pronifer is feed additive made by specific lactic acid fermentation of heat-treated soy bean meal and malt. Blood samples were collected for serum testosterone concentration and tests size and semen quality was tested. The experiment lasted for six months. All results were analyzed using GLM procedure of SAS. Testosterone level in blood of animals fed urea treated silage with live yeast or pronifer have higher (P<0.05) values than those of control or urea group. No significant effects of urea supplementation on testosterone level, tests size and semen quality. No differences among treatments for testes size but semen quality showed that mass activity, volume and semen concentration for yeast and pronifer groups were higher (P <0.05) than those of control or urea treated groups. Pronofer supplement improve semen quality by decreasing total abnormalities and increasing mass activity (P< 0.05) . In conclusion, urea treated bagasse have no deleterious effects on semen quality, however, live yeast and pronifer can enhance (P < 0.05) semen quality in rams fed urea treated bagasse.