SUPPLEMENTATION FREQUENCIES FOR BROI-BROODING SHEEP IN MASSAI-GRASS PASTURE
massai grass, performance, digestibility, sheep farming, grazing, protein-energy supplement
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the frequency of supplementation on intake, nutrient digestibility and performance of cut-off sheep in Panicum maximum cv grazing. mass receiving concentrated supplementation. We used 36 crossbred santa inês sheep 18 males and 18 females with average initial weight of 16.0 ± 1.5 kg and average initial age of 90 ± 10 days, grazing from 8:00 to 16:00 and receiving concentrated supplementation at different frequencies. The experimental treatments consisted of: DS (daily supplementation) - 1% of live weight (BW); AD (supplementation on alternate days) - 2.0% BW and S2D (supplementation every two days) - 2.33% BW. The adaptation period was 20 days with 100 days of experimentation totaling 120 days, and the animals were weighed every 14 days. The average daily and total weight gain, final weight and concentrate intake were calculated. Pasture sampling was performed in order to quantify forage accumulation and laboratory analyses. To estimate voluntary dry matter intake we used the combination of an external indicator (LIPE®) and an internal indicator (NIF). At the end of XX days of supplementation the animals were submitted to water diet and fasting of solids of 16 hours, and then slaughtered. The experimental design was used completely randomized in a 2x3 factorial arrangement. Variance analysis was used and when necessary the means were compared by the Tukey test at the level of 5% significance. There was a statistically significant difference (p<0.0177, 0.0172, 0.0163 and 0.0001) between supplementation frequencies and the best results were verified for final weight total gain average daily gain and concentrate intake for animals in daily and alternating supplementation, when compared to animals supplemented every two days (P=0.0177, 0.0172, 0.0163 and 0.0001, respectively). Higher values of final weight were observed in females compared to males (p<0.05). No statistical differences were found for hot and cold carcass weights between the supplementation frequencies evaluated (p>0.05). Sheep run in massai grass pasture can be supplemented daily or on alternate days without performance impairments and carcass weights.