Intake and digestibility in sheep fed on marandu grass silages added with dehydrated barley

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The objective was to evaluate the intake and the apparent digestibility in sheep fed on marandu grass silages added with dehydrated barley. Twenty crossbred Santa Inês lambs were used, with a mean initial weight of 30±4.5 kg and mean age of 14±2 months. The experimental sheep were distributed into a completely randomized design and lining, with five treatments and four repetitions, with treatments levels of inclusion of 0, 10, 20, 30 and 40% natural matter of naturally dehydrated brewery residue for 36 hours to the marandu grass silage to feed the sheep. The evaluation period lasted 21 days, 15 for adaptation to the diets and 7 days for data collection. The data was submitted to analysis of variance, and when significant (P<0.05) the treatment means were analysed by regression. The inclusion of dehydrated barley to silage showed a linear increase in water intake (P<0.05), increased by 0.02% per unit of dehydrated barley. A quadratic effect was observed for the levels of dehydrated barley on the dry matter intake (DM), estimating a maximum consumption of 2.86% DM for silages containing 17.8% dehydrated barley. The crude protein intake (CP) behaved quadratically, with the maximum value estimated of 0.29% CP at a level of 22.5% dehydrated barley. Ether extract (EE) intake also exhibited quadratic behaviour (P<0.05), with the maximum value estimated of 0.2% EE at a level of 28.25% dehydrated barley. The regression study showed quadratic behaviour; with the maximum estimated value of neutral detergent fibre was 2.33% at a level of 34.58% dehydrated barley. No statistical significance was found for the intake of acid detergent fibre or organic matter (P>0.05). It was concluded that the addition of levels of 20 to 30% of dehydrated barley to silage resulted in a positive response for the dry matter intake, crude protein, Ether extract and neutral detergent fibre.