Abstract
The objective of this work was to evaluate the performance, body morphometric measurements and testicular development in lambs fed with different rates of sunflower meal inclusion. The animals (24) were randomly distributed in treatments with 0, 10, 20 and 30% of sunflower meal in the dry matter of the diet, in six replicates, during 56 days of confinement. The addition of the coproduct at increasing dietary rates increased linearly the dry matter intake in the percentage of live weight and neutral detergent fiber. Despite this, there was a linear reduction in ether extract intake and chest width. On the other hand, there was no difference in daily, total and final weight gains. The body condition score; height of withers, croup and thorax; length of body and croup; width of fore croup, hind croup and chest; thoracic and neck diameters also did not change with the addition of the coproduct. The testicular measures 26.76; 6.11; 6.08; 5.22; 5.21; 4.80, and 4.81cm varied quadratically with the inclusion. Therefore, the inclusion of 30% of the coproduct changes nutrient intake and testicular biometry, but does not interfere in the body weight and development, being an economical alternative.
Highlights
Sheep farming is an extremely profitable agricultural activity due to its characteristics such as short productive cycle, quick financial turnover, good animal adaptability and viability of small properties (Ávila et al, 2013)
The inclusion of the coproduct did not change the dry matter intake nor the total weight gain (Table 2), justifying the similar final weight of the animals among the treatments, which is adequate for the age of the animals, according to National Research Council (NRC, 2007)
The neutral detergent fiber (NDF) content of the food is one of the factors that can inhibit the intake of dry matter (DM) due to its slow degradation and low rate of passage through the rumen (Agy et al, 2012)
Summary
Sheep farming is an extremely profitable agricultural activity due to its characteristics such as short productive cycle, quick financial turnover, good animal adaptability and viability of small properties (Ávila et al, 2013). Despite the attractiveness offered and the considerable Brazilian herd, exceeding 18,410,551 heads (Anuário da Pecuária Brasileira [ANUALPEC], 2017), the production of sheep meat still does not meet the demand of the internal market, ending up with the need of importation. This way, the scientific and financial investment, especially regarding nutritional management, which represents the determining factor of the herd productivity, is essential for the intensification of sheep production. The use of coproducts from agriculture, such as sunflower meal, stands out as an economically promising alternative due to its low cost (Ahmed & Abdalla, 2005)
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