Impact of Feeding Saltbush Twigs on Feed Intake, Weight Gain, and Some Mineral Levels of Fattening Awassi Lambs A. Y. Alazzeh & A. A. AbuGhazaleh & F. T. Awawdeh & M. M. Abdelrahman & N. A. Al-Rayyan Received: 17 December 2008 / Accepted: 22 December 2008 / Published online: 17 January 2009 # Humana Press Inc. 2009 Abstract This experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of the inclusion of saltbush (Atriplex sp.) on the productive performance and blood mineral profile of fattening lambs. Eighteen Awassi lambs, 70±3 days of age and 23±1.8 kg body weights, were randomly selected and divided into three equal groups. Lambs in group one (control) were offered 0.2 kg/day shredded straw of barley (tibin) as the sole source of roughage, while lambs in treatment groups 2 and 3 were provided either 0.2 kg/day Atriplex nummularia or Atriplex halimus as their sole roughage content for 10 weeks. All lambs were also provided 1.1 kg/day of concentrate ration. Although lambs fed A. halimus had significantly (P <0.05) lower dry matter intake than the control group, the daily weight gain of the two groups of lambs were not significantly different (P >0.05). Lambs fed either A. nummularia or A. halimus had significantly lower (P <0.05) calcium and copper levels but significantly higher (P <0.05) cobalt levels in their blood serum than the control group. Zinc blood serum level was not affected (P >0.05) by the treatment diets. These results suggested that A. nummularia and A. halimus can substitute for barley straw in the ration of fattening Biol Trace Elem Res (2009) 130:13–19 DOI 10.1007/s12011-008-8313-6 A. Y. Alazzeh North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro, NC, USA A. A. AbuGhazaleh Department of Animal Science, Food and Nutrition, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, USA F. T. Awawdeh National Center for Agricultural Research and Extension, Amman, Jordan M. M. Abdelrahman Department of Animal Production, Mu’tah University, Karak, Jordan N. A. Al-Rayyan Department of Human Nutrition, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA A. Y. Alazzeh (*) Energy and Environmental Studies Program, North Carolina A&T State University, 163 Carver Hall, Greensboro, NC 27411, USA e-mail: awfa.yosef@gmail.com