Consumo, digestibilidade, comportamento ingestivo e desempenho de vacas F1 Holandês/Zebu alimentadas com dietas contendo palma forrageira

Abstract

The objective this study was to evaluate the effects of cactus pear in association with different dietary variables, on intake, nutrient digestibility, nitrogen balance, ingestive behavior and performance of F1 Holstein/Zebu cows. Eight cows with 72 ± 11 days of lactation were used at the beginning of the experiment. The experimental design was two simultaneous 4 x 4 Latins squares, each composed of four animals, four treatments and four experimental periods. Four experimental diets were used: Treatment 1 - Diet without cactus pear, with sorghum silage; Treatment 2 - Diet with 50% substitution of sorghum silage by cactus pear; Treatment 3 - Diet without inclusion of the cactus pear, having as roughage elephant grass cv. Roxo; Treatment 4 - Diet with 50% replacement of elephant grass cv. Roxo by the cactus pear. The roughage:concentrate ratio , in the total dry matter (DM) of the diet, was 75:25. The dry matter intake (DMI, P = 0.01) was higher with sorghum silage, being 24.5% higher than the other diets, which did not differ among them (15.5 kg/day). Crude protein intake (CPI; P < 0.01) varied from 1.4 kg/day for the diet with sorghum silage associated with cactus pear at 2.13 kg/day for elephant grass diet. The inclusion of cactus pear in the diet of lactating crossbred cows reduced water consumption by 44.52% (P < 0.01). The diets did not influence milk production (P = 0.70), milk production corrected to 3.5% fat (P = 0.72), final weight (P = 0.60) and feed efficiency (P = 0, 61) of lactating F1 Holstein/Zebu cows, with averages of 12.57 kg/day, 14.30 kg/day, 549.7 kg, and 0.79 kg milk/kg DM, respectively. The association of cactus pear with sorghum silage or elephant grass does not alter milk production, reduces intake, improves digestibility and decreases water intake.