Mesquite pod meal in diets for Santa Inês sheep: ingestive behavior

Taiala Cristina de Jesus   Pereira; Mara Lúcia  Albuquerque Pereira; Paulo José Presídio   Almeida; César Augusto Ramos   Pereira; Alana  Batista dos Santos; Edileusa  de Jesus dos Santos

Mesquite pod meal in diets for Santa Inês sheep: ingestive behavior

Autores

Taiala Cristina de Jesus Pereira

Mara Lúcia Albuquerque Pereira

Paulo José Presídio Almeida

César Augusto Ramos Pereira

Alana Batista dos Santos

Edileusa de Jesus dos Santos

Editor

Universidade Estadual de Maringá

Descripción

This study aimed to evaluate the ingestive behavior of sheep fed increasing levels ofmesquite pod meal (0, 15, 30 and 45% in total dry matter diet), replacing grass silage elephant. Eight noncastratedSanta Inês sheep with average weight of 32 kg were divided into two 4 x 4 Latin squares, eachlasting 15 days. The sheep were submitted to visual observation every ten minutes, for 24 hours, in the 13thday of each experimental period. There was no significant regression (p > 0.05) relative to the time spenton feeding, rumination and resting, depending on the levels of substitution of mesquite pod meal. Theaverage time spent on feeding, rumination and resting was 5.64, 10.88 and 8.8h day-1, respectively. Therewas a positive linear effect (p < 0.05) regarding the levels of replacement of elephant grass silage bymesquite pod meal on dry matter intake (DMI), neutral detergent fiber intake (NDFI), feeding efficiencyof DM, rumination efficiency of DM, rumination efficiency of NDF. The use of observation intervals ofup to 30 minutes does not alter the assessment of time spent on feeding, rumination and resting.