Intake and ingestive behavior in lambs fed low-digestibility forages

Abstract

Ingestive behavior of lambs fed diets consisting of fresh sugarcane with urea, bagasse treated with calcium oxide, and urea ammoniated sugarcane bagasse supplemented with concentrate mixture in 50:50 ratio were evaluated. For this, 34 wethers Santa Inês in their growing phase, with an average age of 3.0 ± 0.6 months and a mean initial live weight of 17.8± 5.2 kg were used. The animals were distributed in a completely randomized design and subjected to visual observation periods of 5 days, for 24 h a day, during the experimental period. Dry matter (DM) intake and intake efficiency of DM were higher (P < 0.05) for animals receiving fresh sugarcane with urea. The animals which were fed with bagasse treated with calcium oxide had higher (P < 0.05) consumption of neutral detergent fiber, longer feeding and chewing time (P < 0.05), and shorter (P < 0.05) idling time. The time spent on chewing the ruminal bolus did not differ from one diet to the other (P > 0.05). Grams of dry matter per ruminated bolus were similar among animals fed with fresh sugarcane and ammoniated bagasse (P > 0.05) but lower (P < 0.05) in animals fed with bagasse treated with calcium oxide. Rumination efficiency values, in grams of dry matter per hour, and grams of neutral detergent fiber per hour for all three diets were similar (P > 0.05) to those found for feeding efficiency. The number of feeding and rumination periods was not affected (P > 0.05) by diet. Based on the intake and ingestive behavior responses, the fresh sugarcane with urea compared to bagasse treated with calcium oxide and ammoniated bagasse was found to be the better alternative feed for use in lamb diets.

Productivity and carcass characteristics of lambs fed fibrous agricultural wastes to substitute grass

“…The use of agricultural waste as a source of fiber for ruminants can reduce feed prices and improve environmental sustainability using feed materials that are sustainably available. Examples of agricultural waste include corn cobs (CCs) [1][2][3], bagasse (BG) [4][5][6][7], and peanut shells (PSs) [8]. Ground CCs have been used as a fiber source in cows [1], goats [2], and lambs [3].…”

“…Ground CCs have been used as a fiber source in cows [1], goats [2], and lambs [3]. Babiker et al [5] used BG for beef cattle, while Silva et al [4], Filho et al [6], and Galvani et al [7] used it for lambs. Eshag et al [8] used ground PSs for lambs to reduce feed cost.…”

“…PSs contain 43.9%-80.5% crude fiber, 27.6-87% NDF, 13.1-76.2% ADF, and 5.8-45.2% lignin [9]. These by-products have been processed into many dietary forms, such as ammoniated BG, BG treated with calcium oxide [6], ground maize cobs [1], and maize cob silage [3]. Wachirapakom et al [1] used ground CCs as a single roughage source and found that ground CCs result in better dry matter intake (DMI) and milk yields compared to rice straw when used as a source of fiber in dairy cow diets.…”

“…PSs contain 43.9%-80.5% crude fiber, 27.6-87% NDF, 13.1-76.2% ADF, and 5.8-45.2% lignin [ 9 ]. These by-products have been processed into many dietary forms, such as ammoniated BG, BG treated with calcium oxide [ 6 ], ground maize cobs [ 1 ], and maize cob silage [ 3 ]. Wachirapakom et al .…”