Investigating the impact of sesame hulls on milk yield and blood parameters in Awassi ewes

This experiment was conducted to study the impact of replacing barley grains with sesame hulls (SH) in Awassi ewes' rations during lactation. Thirty ewes aged 4 to 5 years and averaging 56.7 ± 3.7 kg in body weight were used for 63 days. Ewes were offered three experimental diets: control diet with 0% SH (CON), SH10 with 10%, and SH20 with 20% SH dry matter. Animals were individually housed and fed ad libitum. Ewes were hand-milked during the whole experimental period for milk production and composition. At the end of the lactating period, four ewes per group were randomly chosen for a digestibility trial that lasted 10 days. Blood samples were collected from all ewes at the experiment's beginning and end. Results indicated that ether extract (EE) intake was higher (P < 0.05) for ewes consuming SH20, followed by SH10, compared to CON ewes. However, the intake of DM, crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and acid detergent fiber (ADF) was similar among the diets. Ewes' body weight and pre-weaning growth of the lambs did not differ among the diets. The cost of milk production was reduced (P < 0.05) by 33% with the SH20 group and by 27% with the SH10 group compared to CON. The milk yield and other milk component parameters were comparable among the diets. Digestibility of EE was higher (P < 0.05) with the SH groups compared to the CON group. The blood urea nitrogen increased with Ewes' consumption of SH-containing diets (P < 0.05), whereas the other blood traits did not differ among the diets. In conclusion, including sesame hulls into the diet of lactating Awassi ewes proved to be a cost-effective approach without negatively impacting milk yield, composition, or feed efficiency, highlighting its potential as a viable and economical alternative in ewe feeding systems.