Resumen

MATA ESPINOSA, Miguel A. et al. Productive Lambs Performance and Ruminal Fermentation Using Cocoíte (Gliricidia sepium), Morera (Morus alba) and Tulipan (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) Meal as Supplement. Rev. Cient. (Maracaibo) [online]. 2006, vol.16, n.3, pp.249-256. ISSN 0798-2259.

A study was carried out in order to determine the effect of a commercial feed and three different meals produced by tropical forage shrubs, on productive performance, digestibility and some rumen variables, when used as supplements for grazing lambs. Thirty crossbreed (Pelibuey X Black Belly) male lambs (18.29 ± 1.56 Kg BW), were used in a 90 d study. Animals were on continuous grazing of African star (Cynodon plestostachyus; (75.5% NDF, 6.1% CP) from 7:00 am to 4:00 pm. After grazing animals were housed in individual pens and fed (200 g animal^-1 d^-1) any of four supplements, according to treatment: T1 = grazing (G); T2 = T1 + commercial concentrate (CC); T3 = T1 + cocoite meal (Gliricidia sepium; CM); T4 = T1 + morera meal (Morus alba; MM), and T5 = T1 + tulipan meal (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis; TM). Supplement and forage intake, dry matter digestibility and daily weight gain, were measured. Volatile fatty acids (VFA), ammonia nitrogen concentration, total bacteria and protozoa were determined in rumen liquor. Differences in supplement intake (P < 0.05) (CC, 181.6^a; CM, 97.7^c; MM, 149.7^b; TM, 167.2^ab g d^-1), dry matter intake (OG, 789.1^b; CC, 976.8^a; TM, 941.8^a g d^-1) and daily weight gain (OG, 46.1^b; CC, 81.6^a; TM, 77.1^a; g d^-1) were found. The highest (P < 0.05) percentage of dry matter digestibility (DMD) was found for CC (CC, 60.97^a). Forage DMD was the lowest for CM (OG, 49.27^ab; CC, 54.00^a; CM, 48.52^C; MM, 50.47^ab; TM, 50.54^ab). No differences (P > 0.05) were found for rumen pH, ammonia nitrogen and VFA concentration among treatments. Compared with OG treatment, supplementation with MM decreased (P < 0.05) total bacteria concentration (OG, 45.0^a vs MM, 1.1^b × 10⁸ mL^-1) whilst CC increased protozoa concentration (OG, 20.73^b vs CC, 96.01^a × 10⁴ mL^-1). Supplementation with TM showed similar results that those observed with CC. The lowest response was observed for CM and OG. It is concluded that TM can be used as a supplement instead of CC in the tropic for grazing lambs.

Palabras clave : Lambs; supplementation; Gliricidia sepium; Morus alba; Hibiscus rosa-sinensis.