Different fiber sources in diets based on spineless cactus in sheep feeding

Abstract

The objective of this work was to evaluate diets of spinelles cactus (54 % about) associated with different fiber sources on intake, digestibility, feeding behavior, and nitrogen balance of five male sheep, with average initial weight of 34kg. The fiber sources evaluated were: Tifton hay, soybean hulls, cottonseed and mixtures tifton hay with soybean hulls and tifton hay with cottonseed. The experimental design used was a 5x5 Latin Square. There was no differences for dry matter intake, organic matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber and total digestible nutrients. The spineless cactus associated with cottonseed promoted one greater digestibility to ether extract. The soybean hulls afforded coefficients of digestibility of dry matter and neutral detergent fiber higher than to Tifton + cottonseed. The treatment tifton hay and tifton hay + soybean hulls showed greater digestibility of crude protein compared to cottonseed. The treatment with spineless cactus with soybean hulls showed higher mean of nitrogen excretion of feces than the others. Higher value of nitrogen excretion in the urine was from tifton hay + cottonseed. The spineless cactus with soybean hulls resulted in less rumination time and total chewing. It is recommended the use spinelles cactus associated with tifton hay and soybean hulls as fiber sources in the sheep diets.