Palma Forrageira in natura na nutrição de suínos

Abstract

The objective was to evaluate the effect of different levels of inclusion of fresh cactus cv. Giant in the nutrition of pigs in the growth and finishing phases on zootechnical performance, biometric measurements and evaluating the economic viability of diets. The experiment was conducted at the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology Baiano campus Guanambi, in Bahia. Eighteen crossbreed pigs (Landrace x Large White x Duroc x Pietrain), castrated males and females, with around 76 days of age and an average initial weight of 32.4 kg were used. Two animals were randomly housed in pens provided with feeders and drinkers. The design used was completely randomized, consisting of three treatments (0%, 15% and 30% inclusion of in natura cactus) and three replications, with the pen being the experimental unit. The isoproteic and isoenergetic diets were formulated in accordance with the requirements proposed by Rostagno et al. (2017), and fed four times a day, with leftovers and food weighed daily to ensure an ad libitum diet. The experimental period lasted 75 days and was divided into phases, growth I, growth II and termination. On the first experimental day and at the end of each phase, the animals were weighed in order to estimate their zootechnical performance, and on the last experimental day, the biometric measurements of each animal were carried out. Economic viability was assessed based on the cost of feed per kilogram of live weight gained, economic efficiency index and cost index. The data obtained were analyzed using orthogonal contrasts and a correlation analysis was carried out between the biometric measurements and the final weight of the animals, with the analyzes carried out using the SAS program (9.4), considering a 5% probability of type I error. cactus forage did not influence (p > 0.05) the food conversion and feed efficiency measurements in any of the experimental phases. There was a significant difference (p<0.05) in the measurements of the lumbar back line and chest perimeter when comparing treatments with 15% and 30% cactus inclusion, with the highest values observed at the 15% level. The chest circumference measurement showed a strong correlation (r=0.77) with the final weight of the animals. Economic viability varied according to the experimental phase, with the 0% level being the most viable for growth I, 15% most viable for growth II and 30% most viable for termination, and the 15% inclusion level proved to be more viable for the total period.