Supplementing Dairy Ewes Grazing Low Quality Pastures with Plant-Derived and Rumen-Protected Oils Containing Eicosapentaenoic Acid and Docosahexaenoic Acid Pellets Increases Body Condition Score and Milk, Fat, and Protein Yields

This study evaluated the lactation performance and body condition scores of purebred Awassi and Awassi × East Friesian crossbred dairy ewes grazing low quality pastures and supplemented with diverse plant-derived oil enriched pellets under on-farm management conditions. The origin and treatment of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) to get the rumen protected EPA + DHA treatment was based on a modification of the microencapsulation of oil droplets in a protein-aldehyde matrix procedure. The results demonstrated that supplementation with rumen (EPA + DHA) and oil-infused pellets improved milk, fat, and protein yields by approximately 30%, 13%, and 31% respectively, and crossbred ewes produced more milk than purebreds. These results are very useful for dairy sheep producers in improving ewe lactation performance, milk quality, and body condition score under low quality pasture grazing conditions