Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of supplementation with three formulations of nutritional blocks and its consumption by 60 sheep from the Pantaneiro genetic group. The animals were weighed (35 kg ± 4.69) and separated into three groups of 20 each: G1 (control block), G2 (block with palatalising), and G3 (block + garlic extract). The solidified mineral supplement of silage of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) provided ad libitum had an estimated consumption of 0.6%/kg/day. The sheep were kept in pastures in a grazing system cultivated with the grass Brachiaria brizantha ‘Marandu’. The best performance was obtained by G2 (P < 0.05) for weight gain, with 105 g of feed conversion ratio 75% more efficient than G1 and 107% more efficient than G3. The provision of multinutrient blocks for sheep kept in pastures of U. brizantha ‘Marandu’ contributed to the improvement of the animal's nutritional status. Among the formulations tested, the block with palatalising showed the highest rate of food conversion. The block with garlic extract had an inhibitory effect on reinfection by gastrointestinal nematodes after 30 days.
Highlights
The sheep industry in Brazil is subject to constant growth (IBGE, 2015)
Our results showed that the supply of the multinutritional block to sheep raised in the field promotes weight gain
The results found for the acid detergent fiber (ADF) of green leaves corroborate with the finding of other authors, ranging from 21.20% to 40.22% (MEDEIROS et al, 2007; MOREIRA et al, 2009)
Summary
The sheep industry in Brazil is subject to constant growth (IBGE, 2015). the tropical forage crops cannot provide all the essential nutrients to support the productive and reproductive performance of the sheep in the pasture. Sheep present nutritional deficits that intensify as they mature and feed on older forage during the seasons (BUENO; SANTOS; CUNHA, 2007; CHAGAS et al, 2007) Based on these assumptions and the ability of the ruminants to consume food, mineral-protein supplementation can be used as a tool to address the nutritional deficits, by balancing the mineral and energy needs appropriate for climatic conditions prevalent in each region, in order to obtain greater productivity. This supplementation may be offered to animals in the form of powder, granules, liquid, and blocks. The objective of this work was to evaluate the performance and consumption of mineral-protein supplementation, in the form multinutritional block in the diet of sheep in pastures of U. brizantha ‘Marandu’, and the extracts of herbal medicines based on garlic
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