Sixteen of baladi male goats aged 6 months old with an average weight 20.2 Kg were divided into four groups (each of four animals) to study the growth promoting effect of onion and garlic. The groups were subjected at random to feed on four formulated rations mixtures. The first group (control) was fed on concentrate feed mixture CFM without supplements, while animals in second, third and fourth groups were fed on CFM+ 2000 g of fresh onion, CFM + 600g of remainder fresh garlic and CFM + 1000g of remainder fresh onion + 300g of remainder fresh garlic group, respectively, as supplements. Animals in all groups were fed on concentrate feed mixtures (CFM) ad lib. The diets were given for a fattening period which lasted for 112 days.
Four digestibility and nitrogen balance trials were conducted at the end of the feeding experiment. The main results showed that feed supplements significantly (P£ 0.05) improved, the digestion coefficients of OM, CF,EE and NFE , than those of the control ration. All feed supplements improved average daily gain and feed conversion (Kg DM/Kg gain) by about 10.5, 15.8 and 13.1% and 10.7, 13.9 and 16.0% for rations II, III and IV, respectively, than those of control ration. However, such differences did not achieve significancy among groups.
Rumen fluid parameters (pH-ammonia-N and total volatile fatty acids), for rations containing different supplements were not significant changed before feeding than those for control group. However, supplementation were significantly (P£ 0.05) increased ammonia –N and total volatile fatty acids 3 hrs. post feeding than control group. Blood plasma of animal feed rations supplemented with either onion or garlic were significantly (P£ 0.05) lower in cholesterol and triglyceride than that of the control group. However, feeding supplements had no significant effect on plasma total protein, albumin, globulin, urea and creatinine.
Microbial count of rumen fluid from animal feed rations with onion or garlic supplements showed that bacteria, cellulose digesters, starch digester, proteolytic bacteria, lipolitic bacteria, methanogenic, lactobacilli, streptococci, actinomyceter and protozoa count were improved with experimental supplements than those with control ration. While fungi count was decreased (P £ 0.05) with feed supplements than control ration. The economical efficiency of rations supplemented with onion and or garlic were remarkable and the feeding cost was decreased as kg DM/kg gain by 15.7, 15.8 and 19.1% in comparison with control ration.
It could be concluded that remainder onion and or garlic are advisable to be added in fresh form to rations of growing goat diets to improve their growth performance and to decrease the feeding cost in practical feeding applications.