Terminação de ovinos e caprinos em caatinga enriquecida com capim buffel (Cenchrus ciliaris L): desempenho dos animais e da pastagem.

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of sheep and goats finished in caatinga reseeding with Buffel grass (Cechrus ciliaris L), and the impact of grazing on herbaceous vegetation. Twenty-four animals were used, distributed in 12 goats crossbred F1 (Boer x SRD) and 12 Santa Inês sheep with initial live body weight around 15 kg. All animals were individually identified by numbered plastic earrings and posted on the ears. The experimental area was 2.4 ha, divided into four paddocks of 0.6 ha, two for each species. The animal performance was monitored by weighing every 14 days to reach the slaughter weight. The response of herbaceous vegetation was measured by evaluation of the availability of dry matter of herbaceous layer. To quantify the availability of DM (dry matter), the vegetation was separated in buffel grass, other grasses and herbaceous forbs. There was a negative lineal effect for dry matter disponibility in areas grazed by goats and it was verified quadratic effect for areas grazed by sheep in function of the collection time. There was quadratic effect of collection time in the participation in all floristic components in the area grazed by goat, happening the even for the buffel grass and for the forbs in areas grazed by sheep.