Ammoniated babassu palm hay in anglo-nubian goat diets

Antonia Leidiana Moreira,Vânia Rodrigues Vasconcelos,Bruno Spíndola Garcez,Miguel Arcanjo Moreira Filho,Daniel Cézar Da Silva,Arnaud Azevêdo Alves

doi:10.1590/1413-70542016406010316

Abstract

ABSTRACT Leaves of babassu may be used in diets for goats under maintenance, however, it is a low-quality roughage due to its high fiber content. The chemical treatment by ammonia causes reduction in the proportion of the cell wall, in addition to providing non-protein nitrogen for the microbial protein synthesis in the rumen. Babassu palm hay ammoniated with 4% urea (BHAU4%) was evaluated in this study as a substitute for guinea grass hay in the maintenance diets of goats in terms of intake, digestibility in vivo, and the partitioning of energy and nitrogen compounds. Twenty Anglo-Nubian male goats were used in a randomised block design with four treatments (diets containing 0, 33, 66, or 100% BHAU4%) and five replicates (animals/block). The chemical compositions of the feeds, leftovers, faeces, nitrogen and crude energy of the urine were evaluated. In addition, the rumen fluid pH, the rumen N-NH3, and the blood serum urea were evaluated. The digestibility of the dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crud protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDFap) and detergent acid (ADFap), corrected for ash and protein, declined (P<0.05) 0.0939, 0.0722, 0.0953, 0.1113, and 0.2666%, respectively, with the 1% inclusion of babassu palm hay in the diet. A negative linear effect (P<0.05) was observed in the ingested nitrogen (N), excretion of N in the urine, retained N, and N balance, with decreases of 0.15711, 0.0225 and 0.1071 g/day and 0.1388%, respectively, per percentage unit of the babassu palm hay included in the diet. The intake and digestibility of the DM and nutrients are reduced with the inclusion of BHAU4% in maintenance diets for goats, with positive nitrogen balance and stability of the ruminal pH and N-NH3 as well as blood urea, which presented values within the normal physiological range for goats.

Highlights

To overcome the forage seasonality in the Mata dos Cocais area (Brazilian transitional interspace between the Amazon forest and the Caatinga biome), leaves of palm trees, e.g., the babassu, can be used for maintenance diets in goats, offering a promising alternative because of the low cost and stability as green forage that is available all year (Garcez et al, 2014).Despite the advantages in terms of cost and availability, the babassu palm is a low-quality roughage feed, according to Moreira Filho and Oliveira (2008), due to its fiber content (70.55% NDF and 48.38% ADF)
The inclusion of the babassu palm hay ammoniated with 4% urea (BHAU4%) as a substitution for guinea grass hay in the maintenance diets of goats resulted in a decrease (P
The reduction in the dietary DMI with the inclusion of babassu palm hay may be associated with the high percentages of NDF and ADF in its composition, in addition to the high levels of lignin in the fibrous fraction, given that large proportions of fibrous components lead to a longer retention of the digesta in the rumen, which negatively affects the availability of nutrients and their intake, as a result of their slow and incomplete degradation

Summary

Introduction

To overcome the forage seasonality in the Mata dos Cocais area (Brazilian transitional interspace between the Amazon forest and the Caatinga biome), leaves of palm trees, e.g., the babassu, can be used for maintenance diets in goats, offering a promising alternative because of the low cost and stability as green forage that is available all year (Garcez et al, 2014).Despite the advantages in terms of cost and availability, the babassu palm is a low-quality roughage feed, according to Moreira Filho and Oliveira (2008), due to its fiber content (70.55% NDF and 48.38% ADF). To overcome the forage seasonality in the Mata dos Cocais area (Brazilian transitional interspace between the Amazon forest and the Caatinga biome), leaves of palm trees, e.g., the babassu, can be used for maintenance diets in goats, offering a promising alternative because of the low cost and stability as green forage that is available all year (Garcez et al, 2014). The ammoniation process is an easy and low-cost alternative for improving its nutritional value. The objective of this research was to evaluate the nutritional value for the intake and digestibility of the DM and nutrients, the balance of nitrogen compounds, and the rumen and blood parameters for the maintenance of goats fed diets containing babassu palm hay ammoniated with urea

Objectives

Methods

Results