Gérmen integral de milho na alimentação de cordeiros confinados

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the dietary inclusion (0, 30, 60, 90 and 120 g/kg DM) of whole corn germ (WCG), a source of energy, on the metabolic and productive performance of feedlot lambs. To this end, two complementary experiments were carried out. In Experiment I, we tested the effects of WCG inclusion levels on the metabolism of 10 uncastrated male Santa Inês lambs, which were distributed into two 5 × 5 Latin square design (five periods and five diets). Non-fibrous carbohydrate digestibility decreased (P = 0.01), whereas ether extract digestibility increased (P < 0.01) with the inclusion of WCG. Nitrogen balance (retained N) did not change (P = 0.99) according to the WCG levels. In Experiment II, we tested the effect of WCG inclusion levels on the production performance of 40 uncastrated male Santa Inês lambs, in a completely randomized design. There was a reduction in the intake of nutritional components (P < 0.05), except EE (P < 0.01), which increased with the increasing WCG levels.