Thirty-five coarse wool Saidi ewes (3-6 yr, 42 Kg)
5 of Upper Egyp < strong>t were fed, during p < /strong>regnancy and lactation, 1 to 1.5 Kg/hd daily of a pelleted concentrate mixture containing about 2.73 Mcal DE/Kg. Considering lambing day as d 0, blood samp < /strong>les were obtained at approximately -90, -75. -43, -21, +4, +15, +32 and +55. Serum glucose level tended to be higher (P<.09) in lactating ewes de (65.05 mg/dl) than in pregnant ewes (58.46). Serum cholesterol level was higher (P<.01) during p < /strong>regnancy (118.5 mg/dl) than during lactation (72.8). Within days, cholesterol means increased (P<.05) at d -21 and +55. No significant differences were detected between pregnant and lactating ewes in serum total protein (TP).
1 However, serum TP diminished by as low as 0.676 g/dl between d -90 and d -21 (7.15 to 6.48 g/dl). and elevated by 1.27 g/dl between d +4 and d +55 (6.42 to 7.69 g/dl; P>. 10). Lactation decreased (P<.03) the level of albumin (3.43 vs 3.83 g/dl), and tended (Pl of serum urea N during pregnancy slightly (P>. 10) exceeded that of lactation (28.5 vs 27.3 mg/dl). No significant differences were detected within days of pregnancy, but the level of serum urea N was the lowest (P<.05) in early lactation (d +4; 23.0 mg/dl) and the highest (P<.05) in late lactation (d +55; 34.2 mg/dl) and fluctuated in between.