Optimizing the use of spineless cactus in the diets of cattle: Total and partial digestibility, fiber dynamics and ruminal parameters

Siqueira, Michelle Christina Bernardo de; Ferreira, Marcelo de Andrade; Monnerat, João Paulo Ismério dos Santos; Silva, Janaina de L.; Costa, Cleber Thiago Ferreira; Conceição, Maria Gabriela da; Andrade, Rafael de Paula Xavier de; Barros, Leonardo José Assis de; Melo, Tobias Tobit de Barros

doi:10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2016.12.006

Cited by 55 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 22 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Cannulated cattle could also be utilized to examine the properties of Opuntia forage throughout digestion. Recent information about the ruminal and intestinal digestibility of nutrients has been obtained from Opuntia (Siqueira et al, ) and could be expanded upon by utilizing cactus high in crude protein like the greenhouse cladodes used in this study. A long‐term study of cattle being fed varying amounts of Opuntia would be of interest to determine overall health and economic value of the livestock.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nutritional and mineral content of prickly pear cactus: A highly water‐use efficient forage, fodder and food species

Mayer

Cushman

2019

J Agronomy Crop Science

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Increased demand for food requires us to investigate livestock forage and fodder crops that can be grown over a wide range of locations where their cultivation will not compete with that of the food supply. A large portion of the southwestern United States consists of underutilized semi‐arid land. Crops typically used for livestock fodder or forage have high‐water demands that make them uneconomical or unsustainable for semi‐arid and arid regions. The growth rate and low‐input requirements of prickly pear cactus (Opuntia ficus‐indica) make it an excellent candidate for forage or fodder supplementation or replacement in these regions. Previous reports about forage quality data on Opuntia have been scattered across multiple locations, growing conditions and cultivars. Here, we report on the forage quality and mineral content of Opuntia ficus‐indica grown under both field and greenhouse conditions. Crude protein was 71 and 264 g/kg of dry mass for field and greenhouse conditions, respectively. Field‐grown plants showed higher acid and neutral detergent fibre content than greenhouse‐grown plants reflecting higher cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin accumulation. Nutritional values were also compared to requirements of cattle to determine what deficiencies might need to be addressed through supplementation. These data suggest that Opuntia can be used in combination with other feed sources to reduce the demand of resource‐intensive forage crops for raising livestock in dryland areas.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nutritional and mineral content of prickly pear cactus: A highly water‐use efficient forage, fodder and food species

Mayer

Cushman

2019

J Agronomy Crop Science

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…It has adaptive agronomic characteristics, such as being tolerant to hydric stress, and being suitable as forage in diets for dairy goats, dairy cattle, and sheep (Mahouachi et al, 2012;Monteiro et al, 2014;Lins et al, 2016, respectively). It also has a high content of non-fibrous carbohydrates, and consequently significantly high energy content compared with other forage plants (Ben Salem, 2010;Siqueira et al, 2017). However, thousands of hectares have been decimated by infestations of cochineal carmine (Dactylopius sp.).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

<i>Orelha de Elefante Mexicana</i> (<i>Opuntia stricta</i> [Haw.] Haw.) spineless cactus as an option in crossbred dairy cattle diet

Silva¹,

Ferreira²,

Oliveira³

et al. 2018

SA J. An. Sci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A new genotype of spineless cactus is being used in the diets of dairy cattle that are raised in semiarid regions. However, little is known about its nutritional value. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of replacing Miúda (Nopalea cochenillifera Salm Dyck) with Orelha de Elefante Mexicana (Opuntia stricta [Haw.] Haw.) spineless cactus, on nutrient intake and digestibility, milk yield and composition, feeding behaviour, microbial protein synthesis, nitrogen balance, and ruminal and blood parameters of dairy cows. Ten Girolando cows, 500 ± 51.6 kg bodyweight, were distributed in a double Latin square design 5 x 5. The treatments consisted of replacement levels of Miúda (MIU) by Orelha de Elefante Mexicana (OEM) at 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100%. The intake and digestibility of dry matter (DM) (14.38-12.95 kg d ) and total digestible nutrients (TDN) (9.38-7.92 kg d ) increased linearly. Thus, OEM could replace 100% MIU in diets with 48% of spineless cactus, for crossbred lactating cows with 12.5 kg d -1 milk yield. Therefore, OEM is a viable new option for producing milk in smallholder livestock systems in semi-arid regions. ______________________________________________________________________________________

show abstract

“…The high degradability of cactus organic matter (Tosto et al 2015;Siqueira et al 2017), which comprised 35% of DM of the TH and SB diets, may have increased the synthesis of organic acids (Lins et al 2016) and microbial protein in the rumen of the sheep, which explains the greater gain in weight. In a recent review, Boval et al (2015) verified that the weight gain increases as the digestible dry matter intake increases too.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…However, due to low NDF content, the spineless cactus cannot be offered as exclusive roughage in ruminant diet, so the association with a fiber-rich food is essential in diets containing this cactus (Andrade et al 2016;Siqueira et al 2017). Thus, Ramos et al (2013) recommended Tifton 85 hay, a C 4 grass, as the ideal forage for association with spineless cactus in the diet of confined sheep.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spineless cactus associated with Tifton hay or sugarcane bagasse may replace corn silage in sheep diets

Ribeiro

Santos

Júnior

et al. 2017

Trop Anim Health Prod

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The effect of the replacement of corn silage with spineless cactus associated with Tifton 85 hay or sugarcane bagasse was evaluated on the performance, body weight components and sheep meat quality. Twenty-one Santa Inês male sheep with initial body weight of 22.9 ± 2.9 kg were used. They were confined in individual stalls for 74 days receiving the following diets: corn silage + concentrate (CS); spineless cactus + Tifton 85 hay + concentrate (TH); spineless cactus + sugarcane bagasse + concentrate (SB). After the feedlot period, the animals were slaughtered and their body components were weighed and sampled. Data were submitted to Tukey's test at 5% probability. The average daily gain (0.25 vs 0.14 kg), cold carcass weight (13.3 vs 13.7 kg), loin muscularity (0.6 vs 0.4 kg) and liver weight (0.7 vs. 0.5 kg) were higher (P < 0.05) for the TH diet when compared to that for the CS. The physical-chemical parameters of meat were not influenced (P > 0.05) by the treatments and presented about 20.1% of crude protein, 6.1% of crude fat and shear force of 2.0 kgf/cm. In complete diets for sheep, Tifton 85 hay associated with spineless cactus provides greater weight gain, cold carcass muscularity and organ weight when compared to those for animals fed with corn silage as exclusive roughage. Sugarcane bagasse associated with spineless cactus may replace corn silage in complete diets for sheep.

show abstract

Optimizing the use of spineless cactus in the diets of cattle: Total and partial digestibility, fiber dynamics and ruminal parameters

Cited by 55 publications

References 22 publications

Nutritional and mineral content of prickly pear cactus: A highly water‐use efficient forage, fodder and food species

Nutritional and mineral content of prickly pear cactus: A highly water‐use efficient forage, fodder and food species

<i>Orelha de Elefante Mexicana</i> (<i>Opuntia stricta</i> [Haw.] Haw.) spineless cactus as an option in crossbred dairy cattle diet

Spineless cactus associated with Tifton hay or sugarcane bagasse may replace corn silage in sheep diets

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About