IMPACT OF REPLACING COTTON SEED MEAL BY JOJOBA MEAL ON WOOL CHARACTERISTICS IN BARKI SHEEP

The study aimed to investigate the effect of replacing Cotton seed meal by biologically treated Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis) meal to determine the effect on wool fiber characteristics and amino acid content of wool fibers at 10, 20 and 30% replacing levels in diets of Barki sheep. Forty-eight female Barki sheep were randomly allocated into four experimental groups (12 animals in each) to study wool characteristics. All groups feed the same diet with different replacing levels (cotton seed meal by biologically treated jojoba meal). The first group was the control group fed concentrate feed mixture contain (30% cotton seed meal), second group (T1) was fed concentrate feed mixture contain (20% cotton seed meal?10% treated jojoba meal), third group (T2) was fed concentrate feed mixture contain (10% cotton seed meal ? 20% treated jojoba meal and the fourth group (T3) was fed concentrate feed mixture contain (30% treated jojoba meal). Results showed that kemp fiber % (KF %), crimp frequency (CF), staple length (STL), staple strength (STR), staple elongation % (STE%), point of break (POB) and wool production per unit area (WP) were not differ significantly among treatment groups and control, while, fiber diameter (FD), fine fibers % (FF%), coarse fibers % (CF%), clean scoured yield % (YLD%) and cotting score (CS) were differ significantly (P<0.05) among treatment groups and control. Glycine (Gly), Methionine (Met), Leucine (Leu) and Proline (Pro) were significantly (P<0.05) differ among treatment groups and control, while the rest of amino acids were not differ among treatment groups and control.