Exigências e eficiência de utilização da energia e da proteína por cordeiros confinados

Abstract

Two experiments were carried out in the Sheep Division of the Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), to determine energy and protein requirements of meat purpose wool lambs. Thirty 16 11 Texel 16 5 Ile de France crossbred intact male lambs, weaned at 42 days of age (16.2 ± 2.1 kg live weight (LW)) were used in trial 1 (comparative slaughter trial). After ten days of management and diet adaptation five lambs were randomly chosen and slaughtered (reference animals). Fifteen lambs were fed ad libitum and slaughtered at 25, 30 or 35 kg LW, and the remaining lambs were randomly assigned to 2 levels of DMI (either 70 or 55% of the ad libitum intake), being slaughtered together with lambs fed ad libitum and slaughtered at 35 kg LW. Total body N, fat and energy contents were determined. In the trial 2 (digestibility trial), six 16 11 Texel 16 5 Ile de France crossbred lambs (30.4 ± 2.6 kg LW) were housed in metabolic cages in a double 3 x 3 Latin Square Design. Nutritional value of the diet under the distinct feeding levels was evaluated. Decreased dry matter intake (DMI) resulted in linear increase of the digestibility and energy concentration of the diet (P<0.05). Body fleecefree protein content decreased with empty body weight (EBW) increasement. However, when protein in fleece was considered, total body protein was constant. Body fat content varied from 72.7 to 125.9 g/kg EBW, respectively for 13.1 and 28.2 kg EBW. Endogenous nitrogen loss was 243.2 mg/kg LW0.75/day, corresponding to a net protein requirement for maintenance of 1.52 g/kg LW0.75/day. Metabolizable protein requirement for maintenance was 2.31 g/kg LW0.75/day, and efficiency of protein use was 0.66. Net and metabolizable energy requirements for maintenance were 58.6 and 91.0 kcal/kg LW0.75/day, respectively. Consequently, estimated efficiency of energy use for maintenance (km) was 0.64. Net protein and energy requirements for weight gain of lambs at 15 and 35 kg LW, and daily LW gain of 250 g, were 32.5 and 33.1 g/day and 424 and 553 kcal/day, respectively. Efficiency of energy use for weight gain (kg) was 0.50, while efficiency of protein use for weight gain (knf) and wool growth (knw) were, respectively, 0.71 and 0.46. Growth pattern of the wool has a high influence on protein requirements of sheep. Texel x Ile de France crossbred growing lambs have lowest nutritional requirements than those recognized by most international Systems.