Performance of sheep fed diets with increasing levels of herb salt hay (Atriplex nummularia Lindl.)

Abstract

The effects of diets with different levels of salt herb (Atriplex nummularia Lindl.)  hay on the intakes of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), total carbohydrates (CHO), and the DM feed:gain ratio were determined in sheep. Twenty undefined breed sheep, with average initial live weight of 23.0 kg, were assigned to a completely randomized design and fed diets in the metabolism cages. Five diets with 38.30, 52.55, 64.57, 74.85, and 83.72% of herb salt hay (Atriplex nummularia Lind.), associated to forage watermelon (Citrulus lanatus cv. citroides) and shredded cassava root (Manihot esculenta Crantz) added with 5% of urea, were evaluated. The addition of herb salt hay to the diets did not affect the average daily DM, CP, and CHO intake, express in g/day, %LW and g/kg0,75/day, respectively. The intakes, in %LW and g/kg0,75/day of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) increased linearly, whit the level of salt hay. DM feed:gain ratio was linearly affected by the levels of roughage. Live weight gains at 21, 28, 35, and 42 days were linearly reduced as the hay levels in the diets increased. The results of average daily live weight, obtained by sheep during the fattening period, showed that herb salt hay presents good forage potential associated, in any studied proportion, with forage watermelon and shredded cassava root.