Cactus Pear Silage to Mitigate the Effects of an Intermittent Water Supply for Feedlot Lambs: Intake, Digestibility, Water Balance and Growth Performance
Ismael de Sousa Nobre,
Gherman Garcia Leal de Araújo,
Edson Mauro Santos,
Gleidson Giordano Pinto de Carvalho,
Italo Reneu Rosas de Albuquerque,
Juliana Silva de Oliveira,
Ossival Lolato Ribeiro,
Silvia Helena Nogueira Turco,
Glayciane Costa Gois,
Thieres George Freire da Silva,
Alexandre Fernandes Perazzo,
Anderson de Moura Zanine,
Daniele de Jesus Ferreira,
Francisco Naysson de Sousa Santos,
Fleming Sena Campos
Affiliations
Ismael de Sousa Nobre
Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Paraíba, Areia 58051-900, Brazil
Gherman Garcia Leal de Araújo
Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, Petrolina 56302-970, Brazil
Edson Mauro Santos
Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Paraíba, Areia 58051-900, Brazil
Gleidson Giordano Pinto de Carvalho
Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador 40170-110, Brazil
Italo Reneu Rosas de Albuquerque
Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador 40170-110, Brazil
Juliana Silva de Oliveira
Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Paraíba, Areia 58051-900, Brazil
Ossival Lolato Ribeiro
Department of Animal Science, Federal University of the Reconcavo of Bahia, Cruz das Almas 44380-000, Brazil
Silvia Helena Nogueira Turco
Department of Animal Science, Federal University of São Francisco Vale, Petrolina 56304-917, Brazil
Glayciane Costa Gois
Department of Animal Science, Federal University of São Francisco Vale, Petrolina 56304-917, Brazil
Thieres George Freire da Silva
Postgraduate Program in Plant Production, Academic Unit of Serra Talhada, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Serra Talhada 56909-535, Brazil
Alexandre Fernandes Perazzo
Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina 64049-550, Brazil
Anderson de Moura Zanine
Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Maranhão, Chapadinha 65080-805, Brazil
Daniele de Jesus Ferreira
Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Maranhão, Chapadinha 65080-805, Brazil
Francisco Naysson de Sousa Santos
Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Maranhão, Chapadinha 65080-805, Brazil
Fleming Sena Campos
Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Maranhão, Chapadinha 65080-805, Brazil
The aim of this study was to evaluate the intake, digestibility, water balance and growth performance of lambs receiving diets containing cactus silage under an intermittent water supply. Thirty-six male, uncastrated Santa Inês lambs with an initial weight of 19.8 ± 2.1 kg and age of 6 months were distributed in a 3 × 3 factorial arrangement, with three proportions of cactus pear in the diets (0 (control diet containing Tifton hay), 21% and 42% of dry matter) and three periods of intermittent water supply (0, 24 and 48 h), with four repetitions. Lambs that received diets non-isonitrogenous with cactus silage showed higher intakes of dry matter (p p p p p = 0.005), water intake via food (p p p p p = 0.001). When using 42% forage cactus silage in place of Tifton hay and water offered at 48 h intervals, intake, digestibility, and performance of feedlot lambs were improved.
