Inclusão da palma forrageira (Nopalea cochenillifera (L.) Salm-Dyck) em dietas de ovinos em crescimento

Abstract

Evaluate the effect of inclusion of cactus pear (Nopalea cochenillifera) on intake and digestibility of nutrients, growth performance, feeding behavior, carcass characteristics, tissue composition of leg and quality of meat of sheep in growth. Was experiment conducted on sector goat and sheep Department of Animal Science of Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, thirty-two sheep male non castrated they were confined for 56 days. The cactus pear it was included in the experimental diets at levels of 0; 25; 50; 75% based on dry matter. There was quadratic effect for intake of dry matter (DM), organic matter, crude protein, ether extract, total carbohydrates and total digestible nutrients. The intake of non-fibrous carbohydrates increased and voluntary intake of water decreased with increased levels of cactus pear in the diet. The digestibility of DM presented a quadratic behavior. Regarding the feeding behavior of the animals time expended eating, ruminating and chewing were reduced and the time in idleness presented increasing linear behavior. For the variables average daily gain and feed conversion behavior was quadratic. Body weight slaughter, empty body weight, weight of the hot and cold carcass were influenced in a quadratic way by the inclusion of girl cactus in the diet. The hot and cold carcass yield increased linearly and the biological yield was not influenced by the inclusion of cactus in diets. The absolute weights of commercial cuts presented quadratic behavior. The inclusion of forage cactus in diets of lambs affected the weight and yield of "buchada" showing a quadratic effect. yield of tissue components of the leg, bones, fat and other tissues showed quadratic behavior and the yield muscles was not affected. The relations muscle:bone, muscle:fat quadratic behavior. The parameters evaluated in the meat luminosity (L*), intensity red color (a*), pH, shear force; water holding capacity and concentrations moisture, ash and protein were not affected by the inclusion of forage cactus in diets. The concentration ether extract increased linearly with the presence of forage cactus in the diet.