Utilização de genótipos de palma forrageira resistentes à cochonilha do carmim em caprinos de corte

Abstract

The goal of this study was to evaluate the performance, intake, digestibility, behavior, yield and carcass characteristics and meat quality of goats fed with forage palm genotypes resistant to carmine cochineal. The experiment was carried out at the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco (UFRPE) in the Department of Animal Science. Thirty castrated male goats without pattern racial defined (WPRD), aged between 12 and 14 months, mean weight of 19 ± 2.8 kg, were housed in individual stalls provided with feeders and drinking sources. The diets consisted of Tifton 85 hay, small palm, "Mexican elephant ear" palm, soybean meal, ground corn, mineral salt and urea, with a 60:40 of concentrated and bulk ratio. Feeding was done twice daily as a complete blend. The animals were distributed in a completely randomized design (CRD), in three treatments and 10 replicates. The experiment lasted 100 days, being 30 of adaptation and 70 days of data collection. After this period, the animals were weighed and fasted for 16 hours, and then slaughtered. Data were analyzed by statistical package SAS 2011 version 9.3, the initial weight was used as co-variable. The analysis of variance was done and when necessary the data were compared by the Tukey test at 5% probability. No effect of genotypes (P> 0.05) was observed on DM, CP and OM intakes. The consumption of EE, OM, NDF, NDF% LW, TCOH, and CNFc were influenced by the diet (P <0.05), the highest consumption was observed in the control treatment, except for the consumption of CNF, which was higher in the treatment with palm Mexican elephant ear. Differences (P <0.05) were observed for the apparent digestibility coefficients of the nutrients with the exception of the digestibility coefficient of CP and NDF (P> 0.05). The treatments containing palm showed higher digestibility coefficients of DM, OM, CHOT and NFC, but lower coefficient of EE digestibility was observed in the treatment with MEE palm. There was no effect (P> 0.05) of the diet on the final body weight, total gain, average daily gain and feed efficiency. There was no difference (P> 0.05) for the time spent in feeding and feed and rumination efficiency. However, the animals that received the control diet spent more time (P <0.05) with rumination and with total chewing, as well as less leisure time and less efficiency of rumination of NDF. There was no effect of diet on BWS, EBW, HCW, CCW, BY, LC, LMA, RFT and there was diet effect on the GIT, HCY and CCY. No differences (P> 0.05) were observed in morphometric evaluation and carcass conformation, carcasses and cut yields, physical and chemical composition, tissue composition and viscera weight. The internal fat was influenced by diet, and the MEE treatment provided a higher amount of fat in relation to the control and small palm treatments, as well as a higher percentage of fat in its composition that was higher in relation to the Small palm treatment. Small cactus and MEE palms can be used in the feeding of goats since they do not influence the performance of the animals and the characteristics of the carcass.