Behavior of sheep fed babassu cake (Orbygnia speciosa) as a substitution for elephant grass silage

• Published in: Animal science journal 2017-08, Vol.88 (8), p.1171-1177
• Main Authors: Neta, Ernestina Ribeiro dos Santos, Alves, Kaliandra Souza, Mezzomo, Rafael, Gomes, Daiany Íris, Oliveira, Luis Rennan Sampaio, Carvalho, Francisco Fernando Ramos de, Luz, Janaina Barros, Lacerda, Natália Gomes, Bourdon, Venucia de Diniella dos Santos
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal Feed - analysis; Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Animals; Behavior, Animal - physiology; Brazil; Cattle; Chewing; Diet - veterinary; Dietary Fiber; Eating - physiology; Elephant grass; Feeding; Feeding Behavior - physiology; Feeds; Grass silage; Grasses; Male; Mastication; Mastication - physiology; Ovis aries; particle size; Pennisetum purpureum; Poaceae; Reduction; Roughage; Rumination; Sheep; Sheep - psychology; Silage; Silage - analysis; Stomach, Ruminant - physiology
• ISSN: 1344-3941; 1740-0929
• DOI: 10.1111/asj.12744

This study aimed to evaluate the behavior of sheep fed babassu cake as a substitution for elephant grass silage. The experiment was conducted at the Federal Rural University of Amazonia (Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia ‐ UFRA), Brazil, using 45 sheep housed in individual stalls, with unlimited access to feed and distributed in a completely randomized design with five treatments (0, 12.5, 25, 37.5 and 50% inclusion of babassu cake) and nine replications. All of the treatments contained a roughage‐to‐concentrate ratio of 40:60. No differences were observed in the time spent feeding (P > 0.05), regardless of the source of roughage used. However, there was a reduction in the time spent in rumination (P