PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES OF SHEEP'S MILK TO FORAGE-BASED DIETS PRODUCED USING TREATED WASTEWATER

AL-ATIYAT, Raed M. and MALHIS, Ihab and AL-DAWOOD, Amani and RASHAYDEH, Faisal and TABBAA, Mohammad J. and TITI, Hossam and OMAR, Jamal Abo (2026) PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES OF SHEEP'S MILK TO FORAGE-BASED DIETS PRODUCED USING TREATED WASTEWATER. Online Journal of Animal and Feed Research. 152 - 158. ISSN 22287701

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Abstract

The study aimed to investigate the effects of different feeding strategies and irrigation methods of forage on sheep milk yield and composition. Specifically, it evaluated the impact of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and guinea grass (Panicum maximum)-based diets irrigated with either treated wastewater (TWW), after physical, biological, and chemical methods to remove contaminants or fresh water. 30 lactating ewes were assigned to different feeding groups, and milk yield and composition parameters including fat, solidsnot-fat (SNF), lactose, protein, and total solids were analyzed over a 25-day period. Results indicated that while milk yield remained stable across feeding groups, significant differences (P � 0.05) were observed in milk composition. The highest milk yield (3.5 kg/day) was recorded in ewes supplemented with 100 M. sativa irrigated with TWW, while the lowest yield (1.5 kg/day) was observed in the 50 straw irrigated with freshwater treatment. Milk fat percentage and lactose did not significantly differ between feeding treatments, meanwhile SNF, density, total solids, and protein content were significantly affected. Ewes consuming Panicum maximum irrigated with TWW had higher SNF and protein levels, suggesting a nutritional advantage of drought-resistant grasses in dairy production. A significant decline (P � 0.05) in milk fat percentage was observed over time, particularly in ewes consuming 100 M. sativa irrigated with TWW. These findings suggest that feeding strategy plays a more decisive role in milk composition than irrigation type, with P. maximum improving SNF and protein levels. Irrigated with treated wastewater did not negatively impact milk yield or major composition parameters, indicating its potential as a sustainable irrigation source for forage plants. © The Author(s) 2026. Open Access: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	Feeding strategies; Medicago sativa; Panicum maximum; Sheep; Wastewater
Subjects:	S Agriculture > SF Animal culture
Divisions:	Online Journal of Animal and Feed Research (OJAFR)
Page Range:	152 - 158
Journal or Publication Title:	Online Journal of Animal and Feed Research
Journal Index:	Scopus
Volume:	16
Number:	3
Publisher:	Scienceline Publications, Ltd
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.51227/OJAFR.2026.19
ISSN:	22287701
Depositing User:	Dr. Saeid Chekani-Azar
URI:	https://eprints.science-line.com/id/eprint/1776

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