Comportamento ingestivo em diferentes turnos de cordeiros submetido à três tipos de alimentação

Abstract

The evaluation of the sheep ingestive behavior can be generated through innumerable information, allowing a deeper understanding of the animals physiological responses. This enables us to make a decision regarding to sheep feeding and management. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the morning and afternoon feeding behavior of lambs to the native field supplemented with different energetic diets. For this experiment, eighteen (18) castrated lambs, with no defined breeds pattern (NDBP), with an approximate age of 7 months and an initial average weight of 25 kg were used, these animals were submitted to three treatments based on forage to the native field: without supplementation , supplemented with ground corn, and supplemented with soybean hulls. The observational methodology was done every 10 (10) minutes in the daytime, morning and evening, from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm, which total 600 minutes / day, for 6 alternate days, on the dates of 17/06, 26/06, 07/07, 16/07, 22/07 and 28/07. The observed activities were: time of grazing, ruminating standing and lying down, standing idle and lying down, the records were made in individualized worksheets for each date of observation. The data processing was done through a completely randomized experimental design, with factorial arrangement 3 x 2 (three feed systems x 2 observed shifts) with 6 animals per treatment, and the averages were compared by the DMS test at 5% of significance, using The SAS program version 8.2 (2001). Supplemented animals maintained a more standardized behavioral grazing behavior throughout the day compared to non-supplemented animals. The highest grazing times of the non-supplemented animals were in the afternoon, for those who received supplementation grazing times were higher in the morning period. As far as rumination was concerned, the highest time was obtained by the animals supplemented with corn, and soybean hulls in the afternoon period. When the lowest rumination time was performed by the animals that consumed soybean hulls in the morning. It is concluded that the time destined for rumination differs only between observed shifts, being more intense this activity in the morning. The leisure time was higher for the animals supplemented than those who did not receive supplementation, all in the evening period. Supplementation with maize seems to interfere more intensely in the time allocated to leisure activity, when compared to other food management, both also in the afternoon.