title: Intake, performance, and carcass characteristics of lambs fed spineless cactus replacing wheat bran.
abstract: To assess the intake, digestibility of nutrients, ingestive behavior, performance, and carcass characteristics of feedlot lambs, 36 F1 Santa Ines × Dorper male lambs with an initial average weight of 19.5 ± 0.27 kg were fed with different levels of spineless cactus (0, 33, 66, and 100 %) as a replacement of the wheat bran. The replacement diets had no effect on the intake of dry matter (DM) or crude protein (CP), whose average values were 962 and 140 g/day, respectively. There was a quadratic effect on the intake of digestible organic matter (OM) and the digestibility of DM, CP, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and non-fiber carbohydrates (NFC). The highest average daily gain (ADG) of 168 g/day was achieved at 58.7 % replacement level. The highest hot and cold carcass weights of 15.4 and 14.5 kg were achieved at 62.4 and 56.9 % replacement levels. For lambs in the feedlot, we recommend replacing wheat bran with up to 58.7 % spineless cactus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sabrina Carla Rodrigues
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Felix
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ricardo Alexandre Silva
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Pessoa
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcelo de Andrade
authors.initials: Mde A
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luciana Felizardo Pereira
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil. silva_janainalima@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Janaina de Lima
authors.initials: Jde L
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Karen Santos Felix
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: de Abreu
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Caroline Cerqueira
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: de Melo
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis*; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000254:growth & development; D001823:Body Composition; D001835:Body Weight; D029421:Cactaceae; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary*; D004063:Digestion; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D008297:Male; D012756:Sheep / Q000254:growth & development*
keywords: Alternative feed; Carcass yield; Dry matter intake; Spineless cactus; Weight gain