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Effects of walnut shell biochar feed additive on rumen fermentation, nutrient utilization, and performance in fattening lambs

Mehri Montazerharzand,H. Paya,A. Taghizadeh,Ali Hosseinkhani,Mohammad Ramin

Published 2025 in Veterinary and Animal Science

ABSTRACT

Converting agricultural waste into biochar offers a promising approach to improve animal nutrition and mitigate environmental impacts. This study investigated the effects of dietary supplementation with walnut shell-derived biochar on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and rumen fermentation characteristics in fattening male lambs. Twelve lambs (initial body weight: 34.4 kg) were randomly assigned to two dietary treatments: a control diet and a diet supplemented with 1 % walnut shell biochar, over a period of 60 days. The inclusion of 1 % walnut shell biochar did not significantly affect dry matter intake (DMI) (p = 0.08), average daily gain (ADG) (p = 0.06), or feed conversion ratio (FCR) (p = 0.47). However, lambs fed the walnut shell biochar diet had a higher final body weight compared to the control group (p = 0.05). In contrast, lambs fed the walnut shell biochar -supplemented diet showed significantly higher digestibility coefficients of organic matter (OM), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and acid detergent fiber (ADF) (p < 0.05). Rumen fermentation parameters were also influenced by the walnut shell biochar supplement, with increased total volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentration (p = 0.03), higher propionate levels (p = 0.054), and reduced protozoa counts (p = 0.0003), while rumen pH (p = 0.76) and ammonia nitrogen (N—NH3) concentrations (p = 0.64) remained unaffected. These findings suggest that walnut shell biochar may improve fiber and organic matter digestibility and beneficially modulate rumen fermentation without compromising growth performance in lambs.

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