Intake, performance and nutrient digestibility of sheep fed sugarcane treated and ensiled with calcium oxide or urea

Gleidson Giordano Pinto De Carvalho,Fabiano Ferreira Da Silva,Carlos Souza Nascimento Filho,Albertí Ferreira Magalhães,Aureliano José Vieira Pires,Aline Oliveira Carvalho

doi:10.1590/s1516-35982013001000001

Gleidson Giordano Pinto De Carvalho, Fabiano Ferreira Da Silva + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/s1516-35982013001000001

Copy DOI

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate intake, performance and nutrient digestibility of sheep supplemented with sugarcane ensiled with four levels of calcium oxide (0.0, 0.8, 1.6 and 2.4%) and urea (1.5%), on a natural matter basis. Twenty castrated Santa Ines lambs with 24.09 kg average weight were housed in individual 1.5 m² pens, distributed in a completely randomized design. The diet supplied had a roughage:concentrate ratio of 70:30 and the experimental period lasted 77 days, of which 14 days were used for adaptation to the diet and three 21-day periods for data collection. No differences were observed for the average daily intake of dry matter, ether extract, neutral detergent fiber, neutral detergent fiber corrected for ash and protein, total carbohydrates, hemicellulose and total digestible nutrients. The treatment with urea showed differences for the intake (kg/day) of crude protein, acid detergent fiber and non-fibrous carbohydrates. There was no effect of diets on the digestibility of dry matter, ether extract, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber or total digestible nutrients, but there was a quadratic effect for total carbohydrates and increasing linear effect for non-fibrous carbohydrates. The calcium intake increased as the levels of calcium oxide in the sugarcane were elevated. The calcium:phosphorus ratio in the silage of calcium oxide was different from the silage with urea and control. No effect was observed for the performance characteristics of sheep. Sugarcane silages with calcium oxide levels of up to 2.4% or with urea do not improve the intake or weight gain of sheep.

Highlights

The complexity of the digestive tracts of ruminants makes them of great economic value because of their potential in utilizing uncommon feedstuffs in the feeding of non-ruminants and men
No differences were observed for the average daily intake of dry matter, ether extract, neutral detergent fiber, neutral detergent fiber corrected for ash and protein, total carbohydrates, hemicellulose and total digestible nutrients
There was no effect of diets on the digestibility of dry matter, ether extract, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber or total digestible nutrients, but there was a quadratic effect for total carbohydrates and increasing linear effect for non-fibrous carbohydrates

Summary

Introduction

The complexity of the digestive tracts of ruminants makes them of great economic value because of their potential in utilizing uncommon feedstuffs in the feeding of non-ruminants and men. This is true because these animals still depend on the physical and physiological effects of the fiber in the gastrointestinal tract, but mostly because of the costs that the feedstuffs can present (Bezerra et al, 2004). Sugarcane has been utilized as roughage in the finishing of cattle for presenting positive attributes such as easy implantation, few crop treatments, high productivity and good quality in the period of pasture shortage (Resende et al, 2005). It can be conserved and utilized as silage, in spite of the drawbacks of high content of soluble sugars with rapid proliferation of yeasts and production of ethanol and carbonic gas (Resende et al, 2005)

Objectives

Methods

Results