Inclusão de ramos e frutos de jurema preta (Mimosa tenuiflora (Willd.) Poiret)) e farelo de palma forrageira (Opuntia fícus indica Mill) e na dieta de cordeiros.

Abstract

This study evaluated the utilization of jurema preta fruits and hay and spineless cactus bran as food source to lambs. Two 18-Santa Inês lambs experiments were carried out at UFCG/CSTR facilities, in Patos-PB, Brazil. In the first, the effects of three replacement levels (0, 33 and 67%) of elephant grass hay by the 1:1 (weight:weight) mixture of jurema preta hay and spineless cactus bran [M(JP+P)] on food components digestibility and animal performance (daily body weight gain-DBWG-, food consumption and food conversion-FC) were studied. The second, with these same objectives, evaluated the effects of three replacement levels (0, 10 and 20%) of the concentrate fraction of diet by jurema preta fruits (JPF). Dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), and total carbohydrates (TCH) coefficients of digestibility were affected quadratically (P <0,05) by M(JP+P), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) ones decreased linearly, and those for crude energy (CE) and non fibrous carbohydrates (NFC) showed no significant changes (P>0,05). Also, the inclusion of M(JP+P) in the diet had a positive linear effect on DBWG [respectively, 120, 149 and 170 g/an.day for 0, 33 and 67% of elephant grass substitution by M(JP+P)], and on DM (982, 1142 and 1253 g/an.day, respectively), OM, CP, CE, TCH and NFC consumptions. Metabolizable energy (ME), EE, NDF, ADF and water consumptions were not affected, as well as FC, that showed an 7,97 average value. Dry matter, OM, NDF, ADF, CP, CE, EE and TCH coefficients of digestibility were not affected by JPF (P>0,05) in diet, and showed the respective average values of 63,15%, 63,56%, 51,60%, 43,75%, 74,13%, 60,50%, 52,77% and 63,29%. Jurema preta fruits showed a quadratic effect on the coefficient of digestibility of non fibrous carbohydrates, whose digestibility reached 91.39% for the substitution level X=8.28%. Daily body weight gain and DM, OM, CP, CE and ME consumptions, and FC were not affected, and averaged, respectively, 118 g/an, 1013, 909 and 154 g/an.day, 4.67 and 2,54 Mcal/kg, and 8,73. Thus, M(JP+P) is a viable substitute of up to 67% of elephant grass, adding 50 g/day to body weigh gains of Santa Inês lambs, and commercial concentrate can be partially replaced by JPF with no decrease on food digestibility and animal performance. Jurema preta and spineless cactus produce biomass appropriate to partially replace traditional foods used to feed Santa Inês lambs while keeping or improving animal performance, with the advantage that these plants need little water to grow and produce biomass.