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.

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate performance and carcass and meat characteristics of lambs fed a solution of crude glycerin plus water (100 g kg−1 of dry matter) (GLY) during feedlot and pre-slaughter lairage. Data were analyzed as a 2 × 2 factorial (GLY available or not in feedlot and GLY available or not in the slaughterhouse). We evaluated the following treatments (feedlot/slaughterhouse): GLY/GLY, GLY/water, water/GLY, and water/water (control). Lambs fed a balanced diet for 70 days in the feedlot. Slaughter started 12 h after the animals arrived at the slaughterhouse. Dry matter intake, feed conversion, average daily gain, and body weight of lambs fed GLY were similar to those of control lambs. Lambs receiving GLY ingested more water in the feedlot. At the slaughterhouse, water/GLY animals ingested more glycerin and water than GLY/water animals ingested water. Group GLY/GLY had lower drip loss in carcasses than the group GLY/water. The other carcass and meat characteristics (carcass weight, pH, subcutaneous fat thickness, ribeye area, color, water holding capacity, cooking losses, and shear force) were similar among treatments. Solution of crude glycerin plus water can be used as a dietary ingredient for lambs, since it improves hydration and does not change performance and carcass characteristics. This solution supplied as a pre-slaughter supplement does not improve carcass and meat characteristics.

Objetivou-se com este trabalho avaliar o ganho em peso e as características de carcaça e carne de ovelhas de descarte mantidas em pasto de Panicum maximum, cultivar Massai, consumindo diferentes teores de concentrado. O delineamento foi inteiramente casualizado e as fêmeas foram distribuídas em quatro tratamentos, zero; 0,7; 1,4 e 2,1% do seu peso vivo em suplementação concentrada. Ao final de oitenta dias de experimento no campo, as fêmeas foram abatidas. Mediu-se o ganho em peso dos animais e as características das carcaças e das carnes. Os dados foram interpretados após análises de variância e regressão (P<0,0500). O ganho em peso máximo foi obtido com a ingestão de 1,49% de concentrado em função do peso vivo, ponto próximo no qual se obteve melhor conversão alimentar. Contudo, a relação custo benefício foi melhor com a ingestão próxima a 0,62% de concentrado em função do peso vivo. As carcaças não apresentaram modificações e o ganho em peso corporal foi obtido em gordura nas vísceras. As carnes apresentaram menor pH final quando as ovelhas consumiram mais concentrado. As perdas durante o cozimento foram menores com a ingestão de 2,0% do peso vivo em concentrado proteico. As carnes de todos os tratamentos foram consideradas macias, contudo, a sua coloração encontrou-se no limite inferior da faixa normal da espécie.

This work was carried out in order to evaluate weight gain and carcass and meat traits of culling ewes kept on grass Panicum maximum cultivar Massai, consuming different levels of concentrate. The design was entirely at random and females were distributed into four treatments, zero, 0.7, 1.4 and 2.1% of its body weight in concentrate supplementation consumed. The females were slaughtered at eighty days of the experiment. We measured the weight gain of animals and carcass and meat traits. The data were interpreted after analysis of variance and regression (P < 0.0500). The maximum weight gain was observed with intake of 1.49% concentrate as a function of body weight, point closed to which it was obtained the best feed conversion. However, the cost benefit was better with intake of 0.62% concentrate depending on the body weight. Carcasses did not show changes, and the gain in body weight was obtained in visceral fat. Meat showed lower ultimate pH and lower losses during cooking when the culling ewes consumed more concentrates. All treatments possessed tender meats, however, its color was found in the bottom limit of the normal range of specie.

Objetivou-se avaliar a inclusão do farelo de castanha de caju (FCC) fornecido a cordeiros de três grupos genéticos sobre os consumos e digestibilidades dos nutrientes dietéticos. Foram utilizados dezoito ovinos, machos e inteiros, ½ sangue Dorper, ½ sangue Somalis e ½ sangue Santa Inês, com 22,66kg de peso vivo. A dieta controle composta por feno de Aruana, milho, farelo de soja. A dieta teste, composta pelos mesmos alimentos mais o FCC. O delineamento foi o inteiramente casualizado em esquema fatorial 3 x 2, três grupos genéticos versus duas dietas (contendo ou não FCC) com três repetições por tratamento. Maiores consumos de nutrientes foram obtidos pelos animais ½ sangue Dorper x SRD em relação aos animais ½ sangue Santa Inês x SRD, tendo sido ambos semelhantes aos animais ½ sangue Somalis x SRD. Houve interação significativa somente para os coeficientes de digestibilidade da MS. Menores coeficientes de digestibilidade foram observados para os animais ½ sangue Santa Inês x SRD nas dietas contendo FCC. Menores digestibilidades da FDA e da HCEL foram observadas nas dietas com FCC. Considerando-se os grupos genéticos, maiores digestibilidades da FDN, da FDA e da HCEL foram verificadas para os animais ½ sangue Dorper x SRD em comparação aos animais ½ sangue Santa Inês x SRD, sendo ambos genótipos, semelhantes aos animais ½ sangue Somalis x SRD. A inclusão de FCC exerce efeito negativo sobre a digestibilidade das frações fibrosas, notadamente sobre a hemicelulose, implicando em redução da digestibilidade da MS dietética nos cordeiros ½ sangue Santa Inês.

This study aimed to evaluate the inclusion of cashew nut meal (CNM) offered to lambs of three genetic groups on intake and digestibility of dietary nutrients. Eighteen male lambs, ½ Dorper x ½ native, ½ Somalis x ½ native and ½ Santa Inês x ½ native, with body weight of 22,66. The control diet, constituted Aruana´s hay, corn, soybean meal. The test diet was constituted of these feed plus CNM, Acompletely randomized design in a factorial project 3 x 2, three genetic groups versus two diets (with or without CNM) with three replicates per treatment.Higher intakes were obtained for the animals ½ Dorper x ½ native compared to animals ½ Santa Inês x ½ native, being similar to the animals ½ Somalis x ½ native. There was significant interaction only for the DM digestibility. Lower digestibilities were observed for animals ½ Santa Ines x ½ native in the diet containing the CNM. Lower digestibilities of ADF and HCEL were observed in the diets with the inclusion of CNM. For the genetics groups, NDF, ADF and HCEL digestibilities higher it was verified to the animals ½ Dorper x ½ native comparedto theanimals ½ Santa Inês x ½ native, being both similar to the animals ½ Somalis x ½ native. The inclusion of CNM has a negative effect on the digestibilities of fibrous fractions, especially on the hemicellulose, resulting in reduction on the digestibility of dietary DM in the ½ Santa Inês x ½ native.

Objetivou-se determinar o consumo de nutrientes e os aspectos quantitativos da carcaça de ovinos de diferentes grupos genéticos com dietas com ou sem farelo de castanha de caju. Foram usados dezoito ovinos com peso inicial médio de 20,1kg em um delineamento inteiramente casualizado, em esquema fatorial 3 x 2 (três cruzamentos e duas dietas diferentes). A inclusão do farelo de castanha de caju influenciou (P<0,05) o consumo de nutrientes. Diferenças de consumo entre as raças resultaram em maior consumo para os animais mestiços Dorper x sem padrão racial definido (SPRD), seguidos pelos mestiços Somalis x SPDR e pelos mestiços Santa Inês x SPRD. No entanto, não houve diferenças entre os genótipos em relação à dieta controle. O ganho de peso médio diário foi menor para as raças a cuja dieta foi adicionado farelo de castanha de caju. Os diferentes cruzamentos e as dietas não afetaram a conversão alimentar. A inclusão de farelo de castanha de caju nas dietas reduziu o peso de carcaça fria, bem como o peso das costelas. A adição de farelo de castanha de caju diminui o consumo de alimentos e o rendimento de carcaça. Entre os cruzamentos avaliados neste estudo, os ovinos mestiços Dorper x SPRD apresentam maior taxa de ganho de peso médio diário.

This work aimed to determine the nutrient intake and quantitative aspects of sheep carcass from three different genetic groups. Eighteen animals with initial average body weight of 20.1kg were used in a completely randomized design, in a factorial 3x2 scheme (three different crossbreeds - 6 F1Dorper x non defined breed, 6 F1Somalis x non defined breed and 6 F1Santa Inês x non defined breed versus two diets). The diets fed to the animals were formulated with or without cashew nuts. The inclusion of cashew nut meal in the diet influenced nutrient intake. Differences of intake among the animal groups were observed as higher intake for F1Dorper x non defined breed (NDB), followed by F1Somalis x NDB and for F1Santa Inês x NDB. However, the control diet produced no difference among these genotypes. The average daily gain was lower for both crossbreeds when cashew nut meal was added in the diets. The evaluated crossbreeds and diets did not affect the feed:gain ratio. The carcasses analyses showed that the inclusion of cashew nut meal in the diets reduced the cold carcass weight and the rib weight. The addition of cashew nut meal in the diets for lambs reduces food intake and carcass yield. The crossbreed F1Dorper x NDB presented the higher rate of average daily gain.