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Intake, digestibility and metabolism in sheep fed with increasing levels of spineless cactus (Nopalea cochenillifera Salm-Dyck)

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Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the substitution of Tifton 85 hay (Cynodon spp.) with spineless cactus (Nopalea cochenillifera) on the intake, digestibility of nutrients and ingestive behaviour of sheep. Eight rumen-cannulated sheep were used, with an average body weight of 58.44 ± 13.5 kg. The treatments consisted of the replacement of Tifton 85 hay with cactus at levels of 0, 333, 666 and 1000 g/kg. Samples of food and leftovers were collected at the beginning of each trial period. Digestibility was estimated using indigestible acid detergent fibre. Ingestive behaviour was evaluated via scan sampling. The replacement of Tifton 85 hay with spineless cactus had a significant effect (P < 0.05) on the intake and digestibility of neutral detergent fibre and non-fibre carbohydrates. The rumination efficiency of neutral detergent fibre was not affected (P > 0.05) by the substitution of Tifton 85 hay with spineless cactus. However, plasma glucose, phosphorus and magnesium were linearly influenced by Tifton 85 hay replacement with spineless cactus. Therefore, spineless cactus can be used to replace up to 500 g/kg of Tifton 85 hay in complete diets for sheep.

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Funding

The authors would like to thank the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) and the Commission for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) for financing this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Animal Science, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Dom Manoel de Medeiros Street, s/n, Dois Irmãos, Recife, Pernambuco, 52171-900, Brazil

    Laura Priscila Araújo Amaro Maciel, Francisco Fernando Ramos de Carvalho, Ângela Maria Vieira Batista, Adriana Guim, Michel do Vale Maciel & Daniel Barros Cardoso

  2. Campus Arapiraca, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Av. Manoel Severino Barbosa, s/n, Bom Sucesso, Arapiraca, AL CEP, 57309-005, Brazil

    Dorgival Morais de Lima Júnior

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  1. Laura Priscila Araújo Amaro Maciel
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  2. Francisco Fernando Ramos de Carvalho
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  3. Ângela Maria Vieira Batista
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Correspondence to Dorgival Morais de Lima Júnior.

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Statement of animal rights

All procedures were conducted in accordance with the guidelines set by the Brazilian College of Animal Experimentation and approved by the Ethics Committee on the Use of Animals for Research (CEUA) of the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco (licence no. 23082.012176/2014-51).

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Maciel, L.P.A.A., de Carvalho, F.F.R., Batista, Â.M.V. et al. Intake, digestibility and metabolism in sheep fed with increasing levels of spineless cactus (Nopalea cochenillifera Salm-Dyck). Trop Anim Health Prod 51, 1717–1723 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-019-01868-4

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