Feeding behavior of feedlot lambs fed diets containing levels of cassava wastewater

Estimation of ruminal outflow in buffaloes fed diets with different energy and protein sources by use of reticular and omasal sampling

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different traditional or alternative energy and protein sources, associated or not, on feeding behavior, ruminal kinetics, and post-ruminal flow of nutrients. Besides, it was assessed diets' effects on different sites (reticulum and omasum) of buffaloes. Four ruminally cannulated male Murrah buffaloes (average initial weight of 637 ± 66.37 kg) were randomly distributed in a 4 × 4 Latin square design. Treatments were arranged as 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. The first factor evaluated was the inclusion of energy sources (ground corn and crude glycerin), and the second factor was the inclusion of protein sources (soybean meal and cottonseed cake). Buffaloes fed cottonseed cake had a higher content of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and potentially digestible detergent fiber (pdNDF) in the rumen environment than buffaloes fed soybean meal. There was a sampling site effect on rumen digestion rates of pdNDF, passage rates of indigestible neutral detergent fiber (iNDF), and pdNDF, and flow of iNDF. In this study, omasal collections were more representative. Total replacement of ground corn by crude glycerin promoted less NDF ruminal digestibility, and care should be taken to include this energy source. The cottonseed cake does not cause a difference in rumen dynamics and can totally replace soybean meal in feedlot buffaloes' diet.

Feeding behavior of feedlot lambs fed diets with different energy and protein sources

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the replacement of ground corn by crude glycerin and soybean meal by cottonseed cake, in association or not, on feedlot lambs' feeding behavior. Thirty-two non-castrated crossbred ½ Dorper ½ Santa Inês lambs, with an average body weight of 18.52 ± 3.24 kg (mean ± standard deviation), were distributed in a completely randomized design, into four treatments and eight replicates per treatment, in a 2 × 2 factorial scheme. Four experimental diets were tested with different sources or combinations of energy and protein ingredients in the concentrate, respectively: (1) ground corn + soybean meal; (2) ground corn and cottonseed cake; (3) crude glycerin and soybean meal; and (4) crude glycerin and cottonseed cake. The glycerin decreased dry matter (DM) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) (P < 0.001) intakes, whereas it increased times spent in feeding (P = 0.009; from 21.8 to 28.6), rumination (P = 0.006; from 56.2 to 67.2), and chewing (P < 0.001; from 79.4 to 97.2), in minutes/100 g of DM. Feeding efficiencies of DM (P = 0.003) and NDF (P = 0.008) were decreased by the diets. Protein sources increased (P = 0.018) the times spent in chewing and per period in rumination (P = 0.014). Cottonseed cake, as a protein source, up to a 112 g/kg DM level, can totally replace soybean meal in diets for feedlot lambs without effects on the intake, behavioral activities, and feeding efficiencies. In contrast, the crude glycerin energy source is not adequate to replace ground corn in lambs' diets.