Effect of vitamin A supplementation on performance and blood constituents of Saidi ewes and their offspring.

Abstract

Forty pregnant ewes of more than two successive lambing seasons, at the second half of gestation period, were used to evaluate the effects of supplemented vitamin A on growth performance, blood constituents, levels of vitamin A and β˗carotene of Saidi ewes and their offspring. Pregnant ewes (48.48 ± 0.09 kg B. W.) were assigned to 4 treatment groups of 10 ewes each in the Farm of Animal Production Department, the Faculty of Agriculture, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt.. Vitamin A was drenched in the form of pale yellow to brown granular powder as vitamin A acetate content ≥ 1,000,000 IU/g which had been certified by china council for the promotion of international trade.