title: Intake, Nutrient Apparent Digestibility, and Ruminal Constituents of Crossbred Dorper × Santa Inês Sheep Fed Diets with Babassu Mesocarp Flour.
abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect on intake, apparent digestibility, and ruminal constituents of sheep in response to the addition of increasing levels of babassu mesocarp flour (BMF) to the diet. Twenty crossbred sheep (29.17 ± 2.23 kg) were used in a randomized complete block design. Lambs were confined for 21 days, with 16 days for diet adaptation and 5 days for data collection, in which they were fed an isonitrogenous diet (16.5 ± 0.2 CP, DM basis) containing 70% of concentrate and 30% (DM basis) of Tifton 85 hay. Increasing levels of BMF were 0, 10, 20, and 30% (DM basis). There was a quadratic effect (P< 0.05) on the DM intake, nutrients intake, and digestibility of CP and NFC. The digestibility of DM, OM, TC, and NDF decreased linearly, while EE digestibility increased linearly with increasing levels of BMF. The high NDF content presented in the chemical composition of the babassu mesocarp flour ranked the same as fibrous food, which can limit the inclusion in the diet of high production animals. So, babassu mesocarp flour is an alternative for energy source in lambs feed and can be added at levels up to 10%.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Maranhão, 65500-000 Chapadinha, MA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Osman José de Aguiar
authors.initials: OJ
authors.lastname: Gerude Neto
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Maranhão, 65500-000 Chapadinha, MA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Michelle de Oliveira Maia
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Parente
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Maranhão, 65500-000 Chapadinha, MA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Henrique Nunes
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-5706-2323
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Parente
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Piauí, 640495-500 Teresina, PI, Brazil.
authors.forename: Arnaud Azevedo
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Maranhão, 65500-000 Chapadinha, MA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Paull Andrews Carvalho
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Dos Santos
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Maranhão, 65500-000 Chapadinha, MA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Miguel Arcanjo
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Moreira Filho
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Maranhão, 65500-000 Chapadinha, MA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Anderson de Moura
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-0100-3652
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Zanine
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Maranhão, 65500-000 Chapadinha, MA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Daniele de Jesus
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-0277-5371
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Piauí, 640495-500 Teresina, PI, Brazil.
authors.forename: Leilson Rocha
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Bezerra
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Maranhão, 65500-000 Chapadinha, MA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ruan Mourão da Silva
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Gomes
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis*; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary; D004063:Digestion; D005433:Flour; D012417:Rumen / Q000502:physiology; D012756:Sheep