Performance, intake and digestibility of feedlot lambs receiving elephant grass silage with different proportions of dried peel of passion fruit

Abstract

The consumption, digestibility, and performance was evaluated of lambs fed silage elephant grass containing different inclusion levels of passion fruit peel dried (0, 10, 20 and 30%) in natural matter of elephant grass, in a randomized completely randomized design with four replications. The elephant grass was cut at 60 days of age, chopped and ensiled in barrels along with the proportions of dried passion fruit peel, according to each treatment. After 30 days, the silos were opened for evaluation. It was observed that the inclusion of the residual affected the intake and digestibility of certain nutrients (P<0.05). Effect was observed for average daily weight gain and total gain of the lambs, and for every 1% of dried passion fruit peel added the ADG increased 2.42%. The feed conversion showed decreasing linear effect (8.9, 9.2, 8.6 and 7.2), respectively, among treatments. It is concluded that the dried passion fruit peel can be added up to 30% of the elephant grass.