Table 3.
Mean physiological measurements, performance, and dry matter intake of heifers receiving different doses of oregano extract with corresponding significance levels.
| Items | Treatments (g of Oregano extract/heifer/day) | SEM | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 2.5 | 5.0 | 7.5 | P < F | ||
| Urine pH | 8.3 | 8.0 | 8.3 | 8.2 | 0.47 | 0.1 |
| RT (°C) | 38.6 | 38.6 | 38.6 | 38.6 | 0.64 | 0.0 |
| RR (breaths/min) | 46.4 | 45.0 | 45.7 | 46.4 | 0.54 | 1.0 |
| HR (beats/min) | 73.8cb | 75.8b | 79.0a | 73.2c | <0.01 | 2.4 |
| Concentrate DMI (kg/day) | 2.2a | 2.2a | 2.1ab | 2.0b | <0.01 | 0.0 |
| Total DMI (% of BW) | 2.8 | 2.7 | 3.3 | 2.5 | 0.18 | 0.7 |
| Total DMI (kg/day) | 13.5 | 13.4 | 14.7 | 12.2 | 0.18 | 2.0 |
| Average daily gain (kg) | 0.64 | 0.70 | 0.65 | 0.75 | 0.84 | 0.1 |
| BCS (1–5) | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 0.63 | 0.0 |
| BW (kg) | 499 | 502 | 462 | 502 | 0.80 | 11.9 |
HR = heart rate; RR = respiratory rate; RT = rectal temperature; DMI = dry matter intake; BCS = body condition score; BW = body weight.
SEM = standard error of the mean.
a, b, cValues within a row with different superscripts differ significantly at P < 0.10.