ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate the effects of sunflower meal (SFM) inclusion on the performance, nutrient digestibility, and respirometric parameters in sheep. Twenty-four Dorper × Santa Inês uncastrated males, with an average age of 5 mo and initial body weight (BW) of 27.91±6.0 kg, were distributed in a randomized block design with four treatment diets containing 0, 100, 200, and 300 g of SFM/kg of total dry matter, replacing soybean meal. Intake, weight gain, ingestive behavior, and in vitro digestibility were evaluated according to the SFM inclusion. The respirometric parameters were evaluated in an open-circuit respirometric chamber. There was a quadratic response in dry matter intake expressed according to the SFM inclusion, with minimum points of 90.56 g/kg 0.75 BW for inclusion levels of 96 g of SFM/kg. A linear decrease in the in vivo digestibility of dry matter, neutral detergent fiber, and non-fibrous carbohydrate and in vitro fermentation of dry matter and fibrous carbohydrates was observed in response to SFM inclusion. These results reflect the higher fiber content of the byproduct, which reduced the non-fibrous carbohydrates in the diets. Despite the change in nutrient availability, average daily gain (299 g/day), O 2 consumption (26.24 L/kg 0.75 BW), and CH 4 production (2.25 L/kg 0.75 BW) were not influenced by the SFM inclusion, indicating that changes in the nutritional value of the diet did not affect the animals’ energetic metabolism. Sunflower meal inclusion decreased the digestibility but did not affect the animal gain and the respirometric parameters. The SFM can replace soybean meal in the diet of growing lambs; however, it has a maximum inclusion point of 88 g SFM/kg for feed conversion, which is a necessary factor for evaluating the replacement cost.

Resumo: O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar os efeitos da inclusão de feno de folha ou pseudocaule de banana em dietas completas sobre a ingestão, a digestibilidade de nutrientes e a produção ruminal de ácidos graxos de cadeia curta em cordeiros. Foram utilizados 30 cordeiros Santa Inês x Dorper, alocados em cinco tratamentos: 400 g kg-1 de feno de Cynodon spp.; 200 g kg-1 de feno de folha de bananeira + 200 g kg-1 de feno de Cynodon spp.; 400 g kg-1 de feno de folha de bananeira; e 200 g kg-1 de feno de pseudocaule de banana + 200 g kg-1 de feno de Cynodon spp. e 400 g kg-1 de feno de pseudocaule de banana. A inclusão de resíduos culturais de banana não teve efeito sobre consumo de matéria seca, matéria orgânica, proteína bruta, fibra em detergente neutro (FDN), fibra em detergente ácido, carboidratos não fibrosos e carboidratos totais, cujas médias foram de 1.086,8, 1.000,1, 182,7, 374,3, 194,7, 390,2 e 771,6 g por dia, respectivamente. Houve redução na digestibilidade da FDN com a inclusão de 400 g kg-1 de feno de folhas, mas não foram observadas diferenças nos outros tratamentos. A adição de feno de folha e de pseudocaule de banana pode substituir o feno de Cynodon spp. sem alterar a ingestão, a digestibilidade de nutrientes e a concentração ruminal de ácidos graxos de cadeia curta.

Abstract: The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of the inclusion of banana leaf or pseudostem hay in complete diets on the intake, nutrient digestibility, and ruminal short-chain fatty acid production by lambs. A total of 30 Santa Inês x Dorper lambs were allocated to five treatments: 400 g kg-1 Cynodon spp. hay; 200 g kg-1 banana leaf hay + 200 g kg-1 Cynodon spp. hay; 400 g kg-1 banana leaf hay; and 200 g kg-1 banana pseudostem hay + 200 g kg-1 Cynodon spp. hay and 400 g kg-1 banana pseudostem hay. The inclusion of banana crop residues had no effect on dry matter intake, organic matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber, non-fiber carbohydrates, and total carbohydrates, which presented averages of 1,086.8, 1,000.1, 182.7, 374.3, 194.7, 390.2, and 771.6 g per day, respectively. There was a reduction in NDF digestibility with the inclusion of 400 g kg-1 leaf hay, but no differences were observed in the other treatments. The addition of both banana leaf and pseudostem hay can replace Cynodon spp. hay without affecting intake, nutrient digestibility, and ruminal concentration of short-chain fatty acids.