Feeding Behavior, Water Intake, and Physiological Parameters of Feedlot Lambs Fed with Diets Containing Babassu Oil Associated with Sunflower Oil Blend.

This study aimed to investigate the impact of dietary inclusion of babassu oil (BO) associated with sunflower oil (SO) on feeding behavior, water intake, and physiological parameters of feedlot lambs. Thirty-five castrated male lambs (16.6 kg ± 3.9 kg) were distributed in a randomized block design with 5 treatments (diets) and 7 replications. The tested diets were oil-free diet (OF), 45 g/kg BO (BO), 30 g/kg BO with an additional 15 g/kg SO (1.5 SO), 22.5 g/kg BO with an additional 22.5 g/kg SO (2.25 SO), and 30 g/kg SO with an additional 15 g/kg BO (3.0 SO) on dry matter (DM) basis. The experimental period lasted 60 days. Animals that received BO diet and the combination of BO with SO had lower intakes of DM and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) compared to the control diet (P < 0.05). Differences on the respiratory rate (RR) was observed between animals in the control diet and those in the diets containing SO (P=0.001), with a linear increase in RR as the levels of SO in the diets increased (P=0.004). All physiological parameters showed a time effect (P < 0.05). Animals fed with the control diet had higher water intake via drinking fountain (P=0.030) and total water intake (P=0.029) compared to animals fed with diets containing SO. In relation to SO levels, water intake via drinking fountain (P=0.002), total water intake (P=0.002), and total water intake per kg of DM ingested (P=0.001) linearly increased with the levels increase in the composition of the diets. The tested diets did not alter the feeding behavior of the feedlot lambs. However, the combination of BO with different levels of SO reduced DM and water intake via drinking fountain and RR.

Ensiling Sorghum with Urea, Aerobic Exposure and Effects on Intake, Digestibility, Ingestive Behaviour and Blood Parameters of Feedlot Lambs.

This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of ensiling sorghum silage with urea and amending the aerobic exposure nutrients intake and apparent digestibility, ingestive behaviour and blood serum metabolites of feedlot lambs. Forty uncastrated crossbred Dorper × Santa Inês lambs, aged 150 ± 15 days and with an initial body weight of 21.73 ± 2.40 kg, were used. Animals were assigned in a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement. Thus, six silage diets were produced with various urea addition levels (UA: 0 and 5 g/kg on a natural matter basis) and periods of aerobic exposure of silages (PAE: 0, 24 and 48 h). An effect was observed for nutrient intakes of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fibre corrected for ash and protein (NDFap) and total digestive nutrients TDN (g/day) and for the total apparent digestibility of DM, OM and CP. There was an interaction effect between urea levels and aerobic exposure for ether extract (EE) and NDFap intakes (g/kg) and nonfibrous carbohydrate (NFC) digestibility (g/kg) (p = 0.012). The addition of 5 g/kg of urea to sorghum ensilage improved the digestibility parameters without changing dry matter intake and ingestive behaviour. The addition or not of urea does not change the blood parameters of the animals.