Pilosocereus gounellei in the water supply for finishing sheep in regions of climatic vulnerability

Publication date: Available online 27 February 2019Source: Small Ruminant ResearchAuthor(s): Rafael Nogueira Furtado, Emilson Costa Moreira Filho, Maria Socorro de Souza Carneiro, Elzânia Sales Pereira, Marcos Cláudio Pinheiro Rogério, Andréa Pereira PintoAbstractThe aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of diets containing different levels of Pilosocereus gounellei, (xiquexique), (0, 120, 240 and 360 g/kg DM) on intake, performance, ingestive behaviour and water use efficiency in sheep finished in confinement. Twenty non-castrated Santa Inês male lambs with an initial mean body weight of 18.86 ± 1.41 kg and approximately 100 days of age were distributed in a completely randomised design of four diets containing different levels of xiquexique (0, 120, 240 and 360 g/kg DM) with five replications. The inclusion of xiquexique in the diet resulted in a quadratic response (P < 0.05) in the consumption of fresh matter and non-fibrous carbohydrates. The consumption of dry matter and of other nutrients decreased (P < 0.05) with the levels of xiquexique in the diet. Feed conversion, rumination time, idle time, rumination efficiency (g/h DM), total water intake and total water conversion were not influenced (P > 0.05) by the levels of xiquexique. Total weight gain, average daily gain (ADG), feeding time, feeding efficiency (g NDF/h), rumination efficiency, frequency of water intake and voluntary water intake decreased (P < 0.05) linea...
Source: Small Ruminant Research - Category: Zoology Source Type: research