Consumo e digestibilidade de nutrientes em pequenos ruminantes alimentados com dietas contendo gérmen de milho e palma forrageira orelha de elefante mexicana (Opuntia stricta [Haw], Haw])

Abstract

The aim was to evaluate the effect of using corn germ and forage palm in diets for small ruminants on the consumption and digestibility of nutrients. Four male sheep and four male goats were used, castrated, fistulated and cannulated in the rumen, with an average initial body weight of 38 kg and 35 kg, respectively. The animals were kept in a confinement system in individual stalls (2,0m × 1,0m), with slatted floors and equipped with feeders and drinkers. A Latin square experimental design was used in a 2x4 factorial scheme.The experimental period lasted 88 days, with four experimental periods lasting 22 days each, 14 days for adaptation to the diets and management and 8 days for data and sample collection. The treatments were based on four experimental diets: without forage palm Opuntia stricta [Haw], Haw] (POEM) and corn germ (treatment - CONT); without (POEM) + corn germ (treatment - GIEM); with (POEM) and without corn germ (treatment- POEM); with (POEM) and corn germ (GIEM+POEM). The effects of species (E), treatment (T) and interaction effect of species with treatment (ExT) were evaluated, assuming significance at (P< 0,05). Related to the consumption, no effect of species (E) or interaction between species and treatments (ExT) for none of the variables (P>0,05). A significant effect (P<0,05) of treatments (T) was observed for the consuming variables of dry matter (DM), mineral matter (MM), crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), total carbohydrates (TCH), non-fibrous carbohydrates (NFC) and total digestible nutrients (TDN). In which the diet containing (GIEM+POEM) promoted greater dry matter intake and other constituents, while the diet (GIEM) promoted lower consumption of dry matter, mineral matter, crude protein, total carbohydrates, non-fibrous carbohydrates and total digestible nutrients, but favored (P<0,05) greater consumption of ether extract along with the diet (GIEM+POEM). The digestibility coefficients of dry matter, crude protein, ether extract and neutral detergent fiber were not influenced by the association of forage cactus with full- fat corn germ (P>0,05), however, significant values were observed (P<0.05) for the organic matter and non-fibrous carbohydrates digestibility coefficients.