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Postnatal changes in some skin and wool characteristics associated with vitamin A blood concentration

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

R. A. Guirgis ,
G. Ashmawy  and
S. S. Abu El-Ezz
R. A. Guirgis
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Production, Desert Institute, Matareya, Cairo, Egypt
G. Ashmawy
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Production, Desert Institute, Matareya, Cairo, Egypt
S. S. Abu El-Ezz
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Production, Desert Institute, Matareya, Cairo, Egypt
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Summary

The present work was carried out on 24 coarse-wool Barki and ⅝ Merino–⅜ Barki ram lambs to study the effect of vitamin A supplementation on some skin and wool characteristics. Lambs, at the age of 6 months, were allotted to three groups receiving no vitamin A supplement, 50000 i.u. and 100000 i.u. of vitamin A/head monthly. Blood samples were taken monthly for the assessment of vitamin A in the plasma. It was found that vitamin A in the plasma ranged from 42·4 to 17·50 and from 41·67 to 50·03/ μg/100 ml in the control and treated groups respectively, from the start of the experiment till the end at the age of 17 months.

Vitamin A supplementation caused increments in external diameters, of primary and secondary follicles in Barki and primaries in ⅝ Merino, higher than those encountered in internal diameters. An increase in staple length and clean fleece weight of ⅝ Merino and a slight increase in Barki fibre diameter was observed in vitamin-A-supplemented animals.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 98 , Issue 1 , February 1982 , pp. 215 - 219
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1982

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