الفهرس 
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Abstract
This study was carried out in Minia Governorate, Mallawi Experimental Station, Animal Production Research Institute (APRI) during the period from June to August 2006. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of using some salts to alleviate heat stress and improve physiological responses in sheep under hot environmental conditions in Egypt.
This study was carried out by using 90 animals (75 Farafra mature ewes). Animals were equally divided randomly to five treatment groups according to their age and initial body weight as follow: control, 1% Sodium bicarbonate (G1), 1% Potassium carbonate (G2), 0.5% Sodium bicarbonate + 0.5% Potassium carbonate (G3) and 1% Sodium bicarbonate + 1% Potassium carbonate (G4). These diets contains varying levels of DCAD (Na + K - Cl) mEq/kg of DM (115, 246, 276, 257 and 407 for control, G1, G2, G3 and G4, respectively). The results can be summarized as follows:
Dietary electrolytes increased insignificantly blood Hb and significantly decreased blood Ht in both rams and ewes. The values of glucose, total protein, Na and K tended to increased significantly, DEB values were significantly increased, serum urea values were increased insignificantly and serum Cl tended to significantly decrease in both rams and ewes by dietary salts. Also, dietary salts insignificantly increased serum T3 and T4 of rams and ewes and significantly increased serum testosterone of rams. Dietary electrolytes significantly increased semen pH, ejaculate volume, sperm motility, live sperm percentage, sperm concentration per ml, while significantly increased sperm concentration per ejaculate and significantly decreased abnormal sperm percentage. Sonar results indicated that dietary salts had a beneficial effect on conception rate and decreasing embryo mortality specially, in the third treatment group (G3). Treated rams and ewes had a significant decrease in the values of rectal temperature, skin temperature at morning (6-8 a.m) and afternoon (12-2 p.m) and significant (P<0.01) decrease in respiration rate. Dietary salts insignificantly decreased ear temperature of ewes at morning. While, significantly decreased ear temperature in rams. And at afternoon ear temperature significantly decreased of both rams and ewes. Gas volume and tidal volume significantly increased by dietary salts in both rams and ewes. Dietary salts significantly increased VO2 of rams and ewes. While, at the same time insignificantly decreased VCO2 in both rams and ewes. Also, dietary salts decreased significantly RQ.