Growth Performance, Immunity, and General Health Status of Newborn Friesian Calves Fed Milk Supplemented with Propolis, Thyme, or their Combination, as Antioxidants, During the Suckling Period
Growth Performance, Immunity, and General Health Status of Newborn Friesian Calves Fed Milk Supplemented with Propolis, Thyme, or their Combination, as Antioxidants, During the Suckling Period
Hamdy Abdala El-Nagar1, Abdelaziz Mohamed Elhais2, Ayman Hassan Abd El-Aziz3, Wael Mohamed Wafa1, Mohamed Sobhy Elsayed Farrag2, Moataz Ibrahim Badawy1, Safaa Elsayed Salah Atia2
ABSTRACT
Aim of the resent study was to determine impacts of feeding milk supplemented with propolis thyme, or both, as antioxidants, on growth efficiency, liver function, kidney function, total antioxidant capacity, and immune response of Friesian calves from 7 to 105 days of age as an experimental period. Newborn male calves (n=20) weighing 37.92±0.63 kg were divided into 4 groups, five calves/group. The first group (G1, control) included animals without treatment. During the whole suckling period each animal in G2, G3, and G4 daily received milk supplemented with propolis (5 g), thyme oil (2 ml), or 5 g propolis plus 2 ml thyme oil, respectively. Results showed that animals in fed both propolis and thyme combination showed the highest LBW, total gain, counts and percentages of blood cells, hemoglobin, total proteins and their fractions, total lipids, total cholesterol, and glucose, and the lowest urea and creatinine levels (P<0.05). Plasma immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA, and IgM) and total antioxidant capacity increased to the maximal values, while AST and ALT activities decreased to the minimum values in G4. Feeding Friesian calves on milk supplied with propolis (5 g) plus thyme oil (2 ml) per calf during the suckling period can improve growth performance, general health status, immune response, and total antioxidant capacity. From an economical point of view, this treatment could increase profits by reducing morbidity, diarrhea cases, and mortality, and improving the performance of breeding male calves during suckling and the early post-weaning period.
Keywords | Friesian-calves, Propolis, Thyme, Immunoglobulins, Hematology, Blood constituents
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November 2023
Vol. 11, Iss. 11, pp. 1757-1910
