P-48: Effects of Dietary Fat Sources on Reproductive Performance of Mature Rams

Background: The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary fat sources on reproductive performance of mature rams. Materials and Methods: Twelve adult rams, with 32 months of age and a mean weight value of 67 kg, were divided into four dietary treatments using a completely randomized design. Dietary treatments included with the study were: 1. ration with 4% soybean oil (A), 2. ration with 8% full fat soybean (B), 3. ration with 4% calcium salts of soybean oil fatty acids (C), and 4. ration with 4% tallow fatty acids (D). All diets were kept isoenergetic and isonitrogenous. Diets were formulated using the Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System and were fed to the rams for four months (from early July to late November). Results: Diets supplemented with protected soybean oil and tallow improved both the sperm concentration and the scoring appearance of the semen (p<0.05). Semen volume was also affected by dietary treatments, with the highest values of 1.07 ml and 0.83 ml in each ejaculation which were belong to treatments C and D respectively (p<0.05). Conclusion: As an overall conclusion, the results of this study indicated the benefits of adding fats, specially protected, to the diets of adult rams on their reproductive performance.