Consumo e comportamento ingestivo de ovinos mestiços alimentados com torta do babaçu (Orbignya spp.)

Abstract

The objective was to evaluate the effect of different inclusions of babassu cake over the intake and ingestive behavior of lambs. Twenty male lambs were distributed in a randomized design in four treatments with five repetitions per treatment. The animals received isofiber, isocaloric and isonitrogen diets with increasing levels of babassu cake (zero; 7,5%; 15%; 22,5%). There was no statistical difference for the dry matter intake. The neutral detergent fiber intake of percentage of body weight and of grams per metabolic weight presented a quadratic effect which maximum points were 18,00% and 12,52% respectively of inclusion of babassu cake in the diet. There was no difference between efficiencies in the feeding of dry matter and neutral detergent fiber intakes. There was a decreasing linear effect for the idling time in minutes/day with the higher inclusions of babassu cake. In a production system of sheep, it is recommended as an alternative feeding the use of babassu cake at 15% of the diet. The neutral detergent fiber of the babassu cake increases the chewing and ruminating rates of lambs.