ABSTRACT. The cashew pseudo fruit can be used to animal feeding in tropical and subtropical countries as Brazil, Ivory Coast and Vietnam. Thus, our objective was to evaluate the intake, digestibility of nutrients and nitrogen balance of dehydrated cashew apple by-product to sheep. The experiment was carried out with 24 sheep in a completely randomized design with the treatments distributed in a 4 x 2 factorial scheme to test the inclusion (11, 21, 28 and 33% dry matter basis) and the grinding sizes (3 and 19 mm diameter) of dehydrated cashew apple by-product. To grinding sizes there was no effect to intake and digestibility, suggesting the use of dehydrated cashew apple by-product either finely or coarsely milled. The inclusion up to 33% of dehydrated cashew apple by-product inclusion did not affect voluntary intake and nitrogen balance. However, when including above 21%, there was a reduction of ether extract digestibility and more than 28% reduced dry matter and organic matter digestibility.

The objective was to evaluate the effect of salinity of irrigation water and different cutting ages on the biomass components of Echinochloa pyramidalis. Seedlings were planted in plastic pots (volume of 8 L) with sandy-textured Quartzarenic Neosol, under greenhouse conditions. The design was completely randomized in split plots with salinity levels (0.75, 2.0, 4.0, 6.0 and 8.0 dS m-1) in the main plot, and cutting ages (21, 28, 35, 42 and 49 days) in the subplots, with five replicates. After the standardization cut, the dry masses of total forage, dead forage, live forage, green leaf blade, green stem and ratios of live material/dead material and leaf/stem were determined. There was no interaction between the factors studied. Salinity decreased the dry masses of total forage, green leaf blade and green stem. Salinity had no effect on the dry masses of dead forage or ratios of live material/dead material and leaf/stem. Salinity changed the partitioning of dry matter, reducing the percentage of stems, and increasing the percentage of leaves in the dry mass of total forage. The advance in the cutting age caused increases in the dry masses of total forage, dead forage, live forage, green stem and green leaf blade. From the cutting age of 28 days, dead forage dry mass had a very sharp increase. The increase in stem dry mass rose from the 35th day. The extension of the cutting age promoted a decline in the live material/dead material and leaf/stem ratios. The cut of Echinochloa pyramidalis at 21 days, when it presents the best leaf/stem ratio is recommended.

This study was carried out to estimate efficiencies of the utilization of metabolizable energy for maintenance (k m) and weight gain (k g) and to evaluate the Small Ruminant Nutrition System (SRNS) model in predicting dry matter intake and average daily gain of growing Santa Ines sheep. Twenty-four non-castrated Santa Ines sheep, at 50 days of age and with average body weight of 13.00 ± 0.56 kg, respectively, were used. After a 10-day adaptation period, four animals were slaughtered to be used as reference for estimating initial empty body weight and body composition of the other animals. The remaining animals were distributed in a random block design, with the treatments consisting of diets containing different levels of metabolizable energy (2.08, 2.28, 2.47 and 2.69 Mcal/kg of DM), with five replicates. The metabolizable energy use efficiencies for maintenance and for weight gain were calculated from the relationship between the dietary net energy for maintenance and gain and ME concentration in the diets. Evaluation of the SRNS model was performed by adjustment of simple linear regression model between the predicted (independent variable) and observed (dependent variable) values. The estimated energy use efficiency for maintenance (k m) was 0.70; and for gain weight (kg) it showed to be inversely proportional to the increase of metabolizable energy concentration in the diet. The dry matter intake predicted by the SRNS model did not statistically differ from that observed, but the model overestimated the average daily gain by 5.18%. Those results can contribute to the construction of a database, which could be condensed into several others in a predictive model of performance and feed planning for sheep reared in Brazil.

Objetivou-se avaliar o consumo de nutrientes e o comportamento ingestivo de cordeiros da raça Santa Inês na fase de cria alimentados com diferentes níveis de energia metabolizável (EM). Foram utilizados 20 cordeiros não-castrados, com idade e peso corporal médio de 50 dias e 13,00 ± 0,56 kg, respectivamente, distribuídos em quatro tratamentos experimentais com diferentes níveis de energia metabolizável (2,08; 2,28; 2,47 e 2,69 Mcal de EM/kg de matéria seca), em delineamento em blocos casualizados, com cinco repetições. Como volumoso utilizou-se feno de capim-tifton adicionado à ração concentrada. Os níveis de energia metabolizável (EM) tiveram efeito linear sobre os consumos de matéria seca, matéria orgânica, proteína bruta, extrato etéreo, carboidratos não-fibrosos e nutrientes digestíveis totais, expressos em g/dia. O consumo de FDN, expresso em %PV e kg/PV0,75, decresceu linearmente com o aumento dos níveis de energia nas rações, devido à redução no teor de FDN na matéria seca total das rações. Os tempos de alimentação e mastigação total, expressos em hora/dia, diminuíram linearmente com os níveis energéticos das rações experimentais. Em compensação, o tempo de ócio aumentou linearmente e o de ruminação não foi influenciado pelos níveis energéticos das rações. O número de bolos ruminais, de mastigações merícicas e de mastigações merícicas por bolo ruminal e o tempo de mastigações merícicas por bolo ruminal não foram influenciados pelos níveis de energia metabolizável nas rações. O aumento dos níveis de energia metabolizável das rações influencia o consumo de nutrientes e o comportamento ingestivo de cordeiros da raça Santa Inês na fase de cria.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the nutrient intake and ingestive behavior of growing Santa Inês lambs fed different levels of metabolizable energy (ME). It was used 20 non-castrated lambs at 50 days of age and with 13.00 ± 0.56 kg of body weight. The animals were distributed into four experimental treatments with different levels of metabolizable energy (2.08, 2.28, 2.47 and 2.69 Mcal/kg of dry matter) in a randomized block design with five replications. It was used as roughage tifton hay added to concentrate diet. Levels of metabolizable energy (ME) linearly affected intakes of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, ether extract, no-fiber carbohydrates, and total digestible nutrients, expressed in g/day. The NDF intake, expressed as % BW and kg/BW0.75, decreased linearly with the increase of levels of energy in the diet due to the reduction in NDF content in the total dietary dry matter. Feeding and total chewing time, expressed in hour/day, decreased linearly with the energy levels of the experimental diets. However, idle time increased linearly, whereas rumination was not influenced by energy levels of the diets. Number of ruminate boli, of ruminating chews, of ruminating chews per bolus and time of chewing per bolus were not influenced by levels of metabolizable energy in the diets. Increase in metabolizable energy levels of diets affects intake of nutrients and ingestive behavior of growing Santa Inês lambs.

Avaliou-se o efeito de diferentes níveis de energia metabolizável na dieta sobre a composição corporal e as exigências de proteína líquida de 24 ovinos Santa Inês em crescimento, não-castrados, com idade e peso corporal médio de 50 dias e 13,00 ± 0,56 kg. Após um período de adaptação de 10 dias, quatro animais foram abatidos para serem utilizados como referência para as estimativas do peso do corpo vazio (PCVZ) e da composição corporal inicial dos demais. Os animais remanescentes foram distribuídos em um delineamento em blocos casualizados com rações contendo diferentes níveis de energia metabolizável (2,08; 2,28; 2,47 e 2,69 Mcal/kg MS) e proteína bruta (12,74; 14,36; 15,97 e 17,65% PB na MS) com cinco repetições. A excreção diária de N foi estimada extrapolando-se a equação de regressão de consumo de N (g/kg PC0,75/dia) em função da retenção de N (g/kg PC0,75/dia) para o consumo zero. A derivada da equação de regressão do logaritmo do conteúdo de proteína em função do logaritmo do PCVZ dos animais permitiu a estimativa da exigência proteica líquida para ganho de peso de corpo vazio (GPCVZ). A excreção diária de N foi estimada em 277 ± 0.05 mg/kg PC0,75/dia e a exigência de proteína líquida para mantença em 1,73 g/kg PC0,75/dia. O conteúdo de proteína no PCVZ dos animais diminui de 157,83 para 144,33 g/kg PCVZ quando o peso corporal aumentou de 15 para 30 kg, respectivamente. A quantidade de proteína depositada no ganho diminuiu de 137,47 para 125,71 g/kg GPCVZ com o aumento do peso corporal de 15 para 30 kg, respectivamente. A excreção fecal de nitrogênio e exigência líquida de proteína para mantença de ovinos Santa Inês em crescimento foi inferior ao preconizado pelos principais sistemas de avaliação de alimentos e exigências nutricionais para pequenos ruminantes.

This study evaluated the effect of different dietary levels of metabolizable energy on the body composition and net protein requirements of 24 Santa Inês non-castrated growing sheep at average age of 50 days and average body weight of 13.00 ± 0.56 kg. After a ten-day adaptation period, four animals were slaughtered to be used as a reference for estimates of empty body weight (EBW) and initial body composition of the other animals. The remaining animals were assigned into a randomized block design with diets containg different levels of metabolizable energy (2.08; 2.28; 2.47 and 2.69 Mcal/kg of DM) and crude protein (12.74; 14.36, 15.97 and 17.65% CP of DM) with five replicates. The N daily excretion was estimated by extrapolating regression equations of N intake (g/kg BW0.75/day) in function of retention (g/kg BW0.75/day) for zero intake. The derivative regression of the logarithm of protein content in function of the logarithm of EBW enabled the estimation of net protein requirement for empty body weight gain (EBWG). Daily nitrogen excretion was 277 ± 0.05 mg/kg BW0.75/day and net protein requirement for maintenance was 1.73 g/kg BW0.75/day. Protein content of EBW of animals decreased from 157.83 to 144.33 g/kg of EBW when the BW of the animals increased from 15 to 30 kg, respectively. The amount of protein deposited in the gain decreased from 137.47 to 125.71 g/kg of EBWG with the increase of body weight of the animals from 15 to 30 kg, respectively. Nitrogen fecal excretion and protein net requirement for maintenance of Santa Inês growing lambs was lower than the values commonly cited by the main systems of feed evaluation and nutrient requirements for small ruminants.