FRUTOS-REFUGO DE MELÃO EM SUBSTITUIÇÃO AO FARELO DE TRIGO NA ALIMENTAÇÃO DE VACAS LEITEIRAS

Abstract

The aim of this paper was to evaluate the performance of lactating 5/8 cross-breed Holstein/ Zebu cows, and digestibility of diets with different levels (0%; 5.5%; 13.0%; 20.5% and 26.0%) of melon (Cucumis melo L.) fruits in replacement to wheat bran, on dry matter basis. Five cows averaging 380 kg and 10 kg of daily milk production were used. The experiment was conducted in a 5x5 latin square design, including five animals, five experimental periods and five levels of melon fruits addition. The length of each period of evaluation was 14 days (seven for the adaptation of the animals to the diets and seven for data collection). The intake of dry matter (DM) (kg/day, %BW and g/kg0.75), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), total carbohydrates (TCH), ether extract (EE) was unaffected (P>0,05) by the levels of melon fruits (12.52; 3.20; 142.42; 11.62; 1.29; 8.15; 10.21 and 0.41, respectively). Crude protein (CPD) and neutral detergent fiber (NDFD) digestibilities decreased linearly, and the digestibility of non-fiber carbohydrates (NFCD) increased linearly. The estimative for total digestible nutrients (TDN) presented a quadratic response with the addition of increasing levels of melon fruits in the diet. Milk production and fat corrected milk production, averaging 9.09 and 9.78 kg/day respectively, increased linearly with the increment of melon fruits participation in the diets, which points out a possibility for utilization of this co-product to feed dairy cows.