Associação do feno de capim buffel com palma forrageira na alimentação de ovinos da raça santa inês

Abstract

The meat sheep production is very expressive in northeastern Brazil, and Santa Inês one of the races most used. However, low productivity levels are compounded by poor distribution of rainfall throughout the year and seasonal production of fodder. The objective this work was to evaluate the effect of cactus pear (Opuntia ficus indica Mill) in replacement of buffel grass on performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality of Santa Inês sheep in intensive system. Was used forty animals, body weight (BW) of 22.10 kg, fed a complete diet (forage:concentrate ratio 70:30), distributed in five treatments which were at levels growing cactus in diets (0, 17.6, 35.3, 53.2, 71.1%), replacing the buffel grass. Was carried out monitoring of weight gain, food intake control, sampling food, orts and feces to estimate the intake and digestibility of nutrients, determine the water consumption, evaluation of carcass traits, cut yields and body constituents, physicochemical, fatty acid profile and sensory characteristics of meat. Santa inês sheep finished on diets containing higher levels of cactus showed higher dry matter intake, weight gain and better feed conversion, reached slaughter weight increased and decreased rates of consumption of fiber. Diets with higher levels of cactus increased weights, yields, the cuts of the carcass, the leg tissue constituents, and meat showed up bright red. The fatty acid profile is within normal limits, as well as the physicochemical parameters. At the end of the analysis evaluated the sensory attributes, in which no variation between the variables studied, concluding that there was acceptance of the meat by the consumer. Thus, it is expected that the use of cactus became a viable alternative to animal nutrition, since this culture is used by some producers of semi-arid northeast Brazil.