ABSTRACT
Sixty Barki ewes (3-4 years old and 37.62±6.46 Kg body weight) in the breeding season were used to the end of the weaning season. Ewes were allocated randomly to three equal groups. First group (control) was fed ad libitum berseem hay; second and third groups were fed ad lib fresh and silage Atriplex+Acacia, respectively. All groups were supplemented with crushed barley grains. Results indicated that ewes fed silage diet recorded the higher dry matter intake (Kg/head/day) during early and late gestation and suckling periods. Atriplex+Acacia diets either fresh or silage decreased (P<0.05) ewes body weight at lambing comparing with control (48.63 and 47.55 vs. 51.23 Kg, respectively). Ewes fed Atriplex+Acacia diet either silage or fresh lost (P<0.05) less body weight during suckling period comparing with control group (2.95 and 4.59 vs. 5.14 Kg, respectively). The apparent digestibility of DM, OM, CP, EE, and NFE for fresh and silage Atriplex+Acacia diets decreased (P<0.05) comparing with control diet. CF digestibility of silage diets was comparable to the control diet and both were higher (P<0.05) than the fresh halophytic diets. TDN and DCP values were decreased (P<0.05) related to consumption of halophytic diets either fresh or silage. Ewes group fed silage recorded higher daily milk production and lower fertility index (lambing rate: 100, 95 and 85 for control, fresh and silage groups, respectively). Some illness symptoms appeared on lambs at the first week of lambing of ewes in groups fed Atriplex+Acacia diets either fresh or silage especially silage group (tremors and convulsion of limbs so they were unable to suck their dams). Silage ewes group showed higher lamb mortality (11.1, 16.7 and 35.3% of born alive for control, fresh and silage groups, respectively). Offspring birth weight did not significantly affect. Lambs daily BW gain was 190.22, 165.05 and 159.67 g/day for control, fresh and silage Atriplex+Acacia groups, respectively. Blood minerals concentration were significantly affected (P<0.05) by the dietary treatments being mostly lower with halophytic forages groups than those of control. The same trend was noticed on milk yield.We can conclude that feeding Barki ewes halophytic plants especially as silage for long-term during breeding, pregnancy and lactation seasons could cause illness problem to their offspring and increase the mortality rate which may be due to deficiency in some important and necessary minerals for fetus growth during gestation.