Effect of rumen protected methionine and inorganic sulfur supplementation on production and quality traits of wool in Lohi sheep - Sadaqat Ali Chattha; Muhammad Qamar Shahid; Abdur Rahman Ansari; Zeeshan Muhammad Iqbal; Muhammad Zahid Farooq; Iahtasham Khan (Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences, 2026)
Since wool contains high-sulfur protein, the rumen needs enough inorganic sulfur to synthesize sulfur-containing amino acids (SAA) such as cysteine and methionine. Therefore, current investigation aimed to determine the effects of inorganic sulfur (as sodium sulfate, Na2SO4) and rumen-protected methionine (RPM) on production and quality of wool. Five different diets were given to sixty lactating ewes of Lohi breed under Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD), where blocking was done by age i.e. younger (30 ± 5 months) and older (60 ± 5 months) having 30 animals in each block. The ewes were divided into five groups of 12 animals each, consisting of 6 ewes each from younger and older age cohorts. Five diets included C (control; no supplementation of Na2SO4 or RPM), S1 (Na2SO4 @ 0.18 % of dry matter), S2 (20 % additional Na2SO4 than that of S1), M1 (RPM @ 2 gm /head /day), M2 (20 % additional RPM than that of M1). Ad libitum grazing was allowed to all ewes on grazing field containing Jantar (Sesbania sesban) and local grasses along with 250 gm concentrate /head /day during six-month trial period. The study found that supplementation type, rate, and age of ewe significantly influenced plasma methionine concentration, staple length, fiber diameter, and clean wool yield. The highest plasma methionine concentration was observed in supplement group M2 (4.44 ± 0.04 µmol/dl) while the lowest plasma methionine concentration was observed in control group C (4.05 ± 0.04 µmol/dl). Rumen-protected methionine (RPM) supplementation had a more pronounced effect on these factors compared to Na2SO4 supplementation. Furthermore, the age‑dependent responses were observed, wherein younger ewes showed greater responsiveness to both RPM and Na₂SO₄ supplementation compared to older ewes.
Keywords: journal article; wool; rumen-protected methionine; inorganic sulfur; quality traits; Lohi sheep