Mesquite pod meal in sheep diet: intake, apparent digestibility of nutrients and nitrogen balance

• Published in: Acta scientiarum. Animal sciences 2015, Vol.37 (1), p.55-59
• Main Authors: Santos, Edileusa De Jesus do, Pereira, Mara Lúcia Albuquerque, Almeida, Paulo José Presidio, Moreira, Jeruzia Vitória, Souza, Andréia Carolina Santos de, Pereira, César Augusto Ramos
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Feed science; forage conservation; Nutrition; Prosopis juliflora; Sheep; silage; VETERINARY SCIENCES
• ISSN: 1806-2636; 1807-8672; 1807-8672
• DOI: 10.4025/actascianimsci.v37i1.24466

Eight Santa Ines sheep were assigned to two 4 x 4 Latin squares, to evaluate the effects of replacing elephant grass silage with different levels of mesquite pod meal (MDM) (15, 30 and 45% DM) on intake, apparent digestibility of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), total carbohydrates (TC) and non-fiber carbohydrates (NFC) and the nitrogen balance. There was a linear increase (p < 0.05) in the intake of DM, OM, CP, ADF, NDF, NFC and TC according to the addition of MPM to the diet. The digestibility of DM, OM and CP increased (p < 0.05) with the addition of MDM. We observed a positive linear effect (p < 0.05) for the nitrogen intake. The addition of mesquite pod meal up to 45% increased the intake of DM, NDF, ADF, CP, OM, NFC and TC but reduced the digestibility of EE and NDF. MPM at 30 and 45% propitiated a positive nitrogen balance.