Feedipedia
Animal feed resources information system
Feedipedia
Feedipedia

Did you find the information you were looking for? Is it valuable to you? Feedipedia is encountering funding shortage. We need your help to keep providing reference-based feeding recommendations for your animals.
Would you consider donating? If yes, please click on the button Donate.

Any amount is the welcome. Even one cent is helpful to us!

Carvalho Junior et al., 2009. Rev. Bras. Zootec., 38 (6): 994-1000

Document reference 
Carvalho Junior, J. N. de; Pires, A. J. V. ; Silva, F. F. da; Veloso, C. M. ; Santos-Cruz, C. L. dos; Carvalho, G. G. P. de, 2009. Performance of sheep fed diets with elephant grass ensiled with different additives. Rev. Bras. Zootec., 38 (6): 994-1000
Alternative title 

Desempenho de ovinos mantidos com dietas com capim-elefante ensilado com diferentes aditivos

Abstract 

The effects of the addition of 15% of different addictives (coffee hulls, cocoa meal and cassava meal) to green elephant grass forage, in natural matter basis (weight/weight), at the ensilage moment on the consumption of nutrients and the performance of twenty Santa Inês sheep under feedlot system were evaluated. The animals had 5.0 months of age, initial weight of 22.27 ± 3.24 kg and final weight of 28.6 ± 3.78 kg. The treatments were: T1 = elephant grass ensiled without addictive; T2 = elephant grass ensiled with 15% coffee hulls; T3 = elephant grass ensiled with 15% cocoa meal; T4 = elephant grass ensiled with 15% cassava meal. The use of the addictives coffee hulls, cocoa meal and cassava meal in elephant grass ensilage increased the dry matter intake. The greatest crude protein intakes were observed with silage containing cocoa meal and cassava meal. Neutral detergent fiber intakes were similar, and the total digestible nutrients intake was higher in silage containing cassava bran. The feed conversion rate of the animals was not affected by the inclusion of addictives in ensilage. Diet containing elephant grass ensiled with cassava meal showed higher weight gain along the period and per day, however, no difference was observed in the feed conversion rate. The addition of cassava meal in ensilage of elephant grass provided weight gain of 140.5 g/day in Santa Inês sheep.

Citation key 
Carvalho Junior et al., 2009