Intake and digestibilit of elefhant grass silages with the diferent levels of acerola industry by-product

Abstract

The present study aimed to determine de nutritional value of mixed elephant grass silages and increasing levels of dehydrated acerola industry by-product (PAC). Five PAC levels (0; 3.5; 7.0; 10.5 and 14%) were evaluated in a digestibility trial with 20 male non-castrated sheep in a randomized experimental design of five treatments (PAC levels) and four replications per treatment (sheep). Intake and digestibility of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), cellulose (CEL), hemicelulose (HCEL) and energy digestible as well as nitrogen balance were determined. The addition of PAC, didn’t influence the consumption of DM, NDF, ADF, DDM and DNDF. However, the addition of 1% PAC in the silage of elephant grass resulted in increase of 1.91 g and 0.04 g in the daily consumptions of CP and DCP, respectively. With the addition of PAC, there were no alterations in the digestibility of DM (43%), CP (36.4%), NDF (44.8%) and in nitrogen balance (0.22 g) of the silages. However, nitrogen balance reached positive values when 10.5 and 14% of PAC were added to the silage. The by-product of dehydrated acerola may be added in levels of up to 14% of the natural matter in the silage of elephant grass, because it doesn’t affect the intake and digestibility of the nutrients by sheep.