Abstract :
feedlot Santa Inês sheep fed with increasing levels (0, 25, 50, 75, 100% dry matter basis)
of cactus pear (Opuntia ficus indica, Mill) as a replacement for corn. Forty-five male (noncastrated)
Santa Inês sheep, averaging 27.50 ± 0.48 kg body weight (BW) at the beginning of
the study, were used in this trial. A completely randomized block design with nine replicates
per treatment was used. The intakes of DM, OM, CP, EE, TC, NFC, TDN and ME were quadratic,
while the intakes of mineral matter (MM) and NDF increased linearly with increased levels
of cactus pear in the diet. The voluntary intake of water decreased with increased levels of
cactus pear in the diet. Increased levels of cactus pear in the diet increased the apparent
digestibility of DM, OM, CP, NDF, and TC linearly, but did not influence the digestibility of
EE or NFC. Daily weight gain (DWG) and feed efficiency decreased linearly with increased
levels of cactus pear in the diet. The replacement of corn by cactus pear does not affect
the conversion of the feed. Overall, increased levels of cactus pear in the diet of these
sheep favours a high digestibility of nutrients, improves the quality of forage, reduces the
voluntary intake of water, and thus represents an important source of fodder and water
reserves for use in semiarid regions.
