Cabras leiteiras alimentadas com diferentes variedades de palma forrageira na região do cariri paraibano - consumo de água

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the water ingestion of dairy goats fed three genotypes of cactus pear resistant to carmine cochineal (Dactylopius opuntiae): Baiana (Nopalea cochenillifera), Orelha de Elefante Mexicana (Opuntia stricta Haw), Miúda (Nopalea cochenillifera Salm-Dyck). The experiment was conducted at the Experimental Station for Small Ruminants, belonging to Centro de Ciências Agrárias, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, located municipality of São João do Cariri state of Paraíba. It was used 12 crossbred Saanen x Alpine American goats with an average weight of 50 ± 6 kg, randomly distributed in a 4x4 Latin square experiment, four groups of animals (three animals per group), four periods and four treatments in which three corresponded diets with cactus pear genotypes Baiana, Orelha Elefante Mexicana and Miúda, and without the inclusion cactus pear (control diet). Each period lasted 20 days (15 days of adaptation of animals to experimental diets and 5 for data collection) The experimental diets were composed of cactus pear, tifton hay, soybean meal, corn bran and mineral supplement. Water consumption was calculated as the difference between the offered water and waste water supply after 24 hours. The control diet had the highest spending on water, resulting in average daily consumption of 9.24 kg / water / animal. Diets with cultivars Baiana, Orelha Elefante Mexicana and Miúda did not show significant differences between their results. The use of palm allowed a 35% reduction in water consumption of animals via drinking fountain.