title: Protein requirements of finishing paca (Cuniculus paca).
abstract: We conducted a nitrogen balance digestion trial to determine the crude protein requirements of paca (Cuniculus paca) during the last growth phase. In a 4 × 4 Latin square design, four young captive male pacas, aged 5 months, were fed four isoenergetic diets containing four different levels of nitrogen (N) (11.3, 16.6, 21.4, and 26.6 g N/kg of dry matter). After 15 days of adaptation, we collected all feces and urine for five consecutive days. By regression analysis between N intake and N in feces and urine, the metabolic fecal nitrogen (MFN = 4.2 g/kg of dry matter intake) and daily endogenous urinary N (EUN = 91.6 mg/kg(0.75)) were determined. Likewise, by regression analyses between nitrogen intake and nitrogen retention [NR = N intake-(fecal N + urine N)], we estimated the daily requirement of 280.5 mg N/kg(0.75). Therefore, a minimum of 55 g crude protein per kilogram dry matter and 13 MJ/kg of digestible energy are required by finishing paca on unrestricted diets. Such values are similar to those of other wild frugivores and below those of growing rabbits. The data confirm that farmers overfeed protein, and similar growth can be more economically achieved on lower protein diets.
authors.affiliation: Neotropical Animal Nutrition Laboratory, Departamento de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Rod. Jorge Amado km 16, Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil, 45662-900. slgnogue@uesc.br.
authors.forename: Sérgio Luiz Gama
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Nogueira-Filho
authors.affiliation: Neotropical Animal Nutrition Laboratory, Departamento de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Rod. Jorge Amado km 16, Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil, 45662-900.
authors.forename: Ivanise da Hora
authors.initials: Ida H
authors.lastname: Bastos
authors.affiliation: Neotropical Animal Nutrition Laboratory, Departamento de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Rod. Jorge Amado km 16, Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil, 45662-900.
authors.forename: Alcester
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mendes
authors.affiliation: Applied Ethology Laboratory, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Selene Siqueira da Cunha
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Nogueira
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis; D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000379:methods*; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D065469:Cuniculidae / Q000378:metabolism*; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary*; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D004063:Digestion; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry; D008297:Male; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D011897:Random Allocation
chemical_list: D004044:Dietary Proteins; D009584:Nitrogen
keywords: Balance trials; Comparative nutrition; Endogenous urinary nitrogen; Metabolic fecal nitrogen; Tepezcuintle; Wildlife farming