Efeito da inclusão de ionóforo na dieta sobre o comportamento ingestivo de ovinos em confinamento.

Abstract

The objective of this review was to address the importance of feeding behavior, the use of native plants along with grass well adapted to semi-arid region, the animal diet and the ability of ionophores additives from reports in the literature. Information was addressed, mostly published articles that depict the importance of using ionophores additives on the feeding behavior of sheep, in consortium with diets composed by high production forage, native or adapted in order to find the management more appropriate, so that the behavioral characteristics of the animals are expressed in order to promote greater gains in production. From what was observed, it was found that maniçoba along with elephant grass can be an excellent food alternative to sheep at the most critical time of year, because it is a native species and another already well adapted and both easily found the properties of the semi-arid region, besides having a reasonable power nutritious and quite palatable to the animals. Regarding the ionophore, it can be justified their use due to its ability to meet more fully the nutritional needs and can also promote a decrease in food intake and still improve feed efficiency and better performance of the animals.