Suchergebnisse

The aim of this study was to evaluate the reproductive performance of Ile de France ewes undergoing dietary supplementation before and during the breeding season, with and without association with management conditions (pre-mating shearing). Thirty-six ewes with an average body weight of 66 kg were used in the experiment. Treatments involved ewes receiving or not receiving concentrate supplementation (flushing), with groups subdivided according to the management condition to which animals were subjected: shearing or lack of it. Thus, ewes were divided into four treatments: flushed and shorn; flushed and unshorn; unflushed and shorn; and unflushed and unshorn. Flushing increased weight gain and body condition score, and when associated with shearing, it promoted anticipation of estrus. Fertility rate (86.05%), calving rate (77.77%), birth rate (113.83%), and type of birth (single: 82.29% and twin: 17.71%) were not influenced. Birth weight (3.96 kg) and prolificacy (1.25%) also were not affected. Despite the lack of changes in reproductive traits, flushing adopted during the breeding season associated with shearing anticipated estrus in ewes.

This experiment aimed to evaluate the effect of supplementation with Gliricidia fodder salt on intake, nutrient digestibility, and feeding behavior of lambs. Twenty-five Santa Inês crossbred male sheep at approximately 180 days of age, with an average live weight of 25 kg, were confined in individual 1-m2 stalls and distributed in a randomized complete design with five treatments and five replications. Treatments consisted of 0 (1,000 g/kg?1 NaCl), 930, 950, 970, and 990 g/kg?1 inclusion of Gliricidia hay (70, 50, 30, and 10 g/kg?1 NaCl in the formulation of the fodder salt, respectively). The animals were fed ground Tifton-85 (Cynodon spp.) hay, ground fodder salt and or mineral salt, and water ad libitum, at 07h00 and 17h00. Intakes of dry matter, mineral matter, organic matter, crude protein, ether extract, and neutral detergent fiber were influenced (P<0.05) by supplementation with Gliricidia fodder salt. Crude protein intake increased linearly (P<0.01), while mineral-salt intake decreased linearly (P<0.01) as the levels of Gliricidia hay in the fodder salt were increased. There was no difference (P>0.05) in nutrient digestibility due to supplementation. Rumination time and number of cuds ruminated per day decreased (P<0.05), whereas rumination chews per cud increased (P<0.05). Feed and rumination efficiencies (g DM and NDF h?1) increased (P<0.01) with supplementation, and so did the rumination efficiency (P<0.01) expressed in g DM and NDF cud?1. Supplementation with Gliricidia fodder salt increases nutrient intake and positively changes the feeding behavior of lambs.

This study evaluated food intake and productive performance of crossbred (½ Santa Inês x ½ dorper) lambs supplemented with different levels of faveleira (Cnidoscolus quercifolius Pohl) fodder salt. Thirty male sheep fed tifton grass hay, water, and faveleira fodder salt were randomly allocated into five treatments with six replicates each. The treatments consisted of diets with different inclusion levels of faveleira hay in the fodder salt composition: Treatment 1 (1% mineral salt + 99% faveleira hay), Treatment 2 (3% mineral salt + 97% faveleira hay), Treatment 3 (5% mineral salt + 95% faveleira hay), Treatment 4 (7% mineral salt + 93% faveleira hay), and Treatment 5 (Control - 100% mineral salt). Intake of dry matter, tifton hay and water, average daily gain, feed conversion, and feed efficiency were not affected by fodder salt supplementation (P > 0.05). There was a significant difference (P < 0.05) in fodder salt intake between Treatments 4 and 5, and daily intake was higher in animals submitted to Treatment 4 (61.0 g day-1). Mineral salt intake increased significantly with increasing mineral salt levels in the diet. However, no significant difference was observed in average daily gain across treatments, indicating that faveleira hay, even in small quantities, and tifton hay were able to meet the nutritional requirements of animals to support a good average daily gain. The inclusion of up to 99% faveleira hay in fodder salt formulations did not affect voluntary intake of forage, water and dry matter, average daily gain, feed conversion, and feed efficiency. Lambs supplemented with faveleira fodder salt had average daily gains within the optimal range for slaughter and high feed conversion and feed efficiency values. Faveleira was shown to be an effective supplementary feed alternative in sheep.