Productive, behavioral and metabolic parameters of sheep fed with different roughage: concentrate ratios in fully extruded diets
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5433/1679-0359.2025v46n3p983Keywords:
Feeding behavior, Muscle growth, Energy, Fiber, Metabolites.Abstract
High fiber levels physically limit ruminant intake. However, extrusion increases fiber degradability by decreasing particle stability, and higher proportions of roughages can be inserted into fully extruded diets without compromising production. The objective of this study was to compare the weight gain, feeding behavior, and metabolic parameters of sheep given extruded diets with different proportions of roughage and a commercial concentrate. Twenty sheep (eight uncastrated males and twelve females) with 21.30 ± 4.07 kg initial mean body weight and 4.0 ± 0.3 months of age were distributed in randomized blocks and fed fully extruded diets with roughage:concentrate ratios of 30:70, 40:60, 50:50, and 60:40. Body weight and feeding behavior were measured at the beginning and end of 90 days. Blood collection was performed on days 0, 21, 42, 63, and 84. Analysis of variance and regression (roughage level) were used to analyze the data, with an alpha level of 0.5%, and means were compared by a Student-Newman-Keuls test with significance at P≤0.05. The average daily gain (0.263 kg/day; P=0.12), the time spent in food intake (188.5 min/day; P=0.11), rumination (190.5 min/day; P=0.11), and leisure (1,061 min/day; P=0.13), and the serum levels of urea (30.1 mg/dL), uric acid (0.20 mg/dL), albumin (2.19 mg/dL), creatinine (1.04 mg/dL), triglycerides (26.54 mg/dL), very low density lipoprotein (5.67 mg/dL), cholesterol (55.22 mg/dL), gamma-glutamyl transferase (57.44 per UL), and alkaline phosphatase (338.68 per UL) were not influenced (P>0.05) by the roughage portion in the diet. Serum total protein increased linearly (P<0.05) over time in diets with 30 and 50% roughage. Aspartate aminotransferase was superior in diets with 30 and 50% roughage (P=0.02). Serum uric acid, albumin, gamma-glutamyl transferase, and aspartate aminotransferase increased linearly over time, while triglycerides, very low-density lipoprotein, cholesterol, and alkaline phosphatase decreased linearly over time (P<0.05). Up to 60% roughage may be added to fully extruded diets for lambs.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Pedro Henrique Cavalcante Ribeiro, Karla Alves Oliveira, Marco Túlio Santos Siqueira, Luana de Oliveira Faria, Marcela Rodrigues de Oliveira, Lucas Eduardo Gonçalves Vilaça, Erica Beatriz Schultz, Gilberto de Lima Macedo Júnior, Laylles Costa Araújo
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