Nitrogen metabolism in lambs fed diets containing peach palm meal.

ABSTRACT

The objective of this study was to evaluate the nitrogen metabolism of lambs fed diets containing peach palm meal substituting maize (0, 10, 40, 60, and 85 % DM). Thirty Santa Inês uncastrated lambs with an average initial body weight of 21.6 ± 0.87 kg were distributed in a completely randomized design with five diets and six replicates. The nitrogen (N) intake (g/day, %BW) and the fecal N decreased linearly as the peach palm meal was added to the concentrate. The urinary N, however, responded quadratically, with maxima at the level of 29.97 and 40.44 % of substitution of maize for peach palm meal when expressed in g/day and %BW, respectively. The substitution of maize for peach palm meal reduced the retention of nitrogen and the microbial protein synthesis in the lambs.