Abstract

"The objective of the experiment was to evaluate digestibility in vivo and nutrient consumption of rations for sheep that include increasing quantities of tagasaste (Chamaecytisus proliferus subsp. palmensis) to replace alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). Twenty-four young Suffolk Down rams with a initial live weight of 38 kg were fed with alfalfa pellets and increasing levels of tagasaste soiling. The diets were: 100% alfalfa (T0); 70% alfalfa and 30% tagasaste (T30); 40% alfalfa and 60% tagasaste (T60); and 10% alfalfa and 90% tagasaste (T10). The total intake of digestible dry matter and digestible organic matter were of 1.191; 1.102; 855 and 687 and of 1.108; 1.046; 820 and 670 g animal-1 d-1 for the four treatments, respectively. The coefficients of digestibility (D) of dry matter (59.4 to 61.3%), organic matter (60.9 to 62.3%), and total protein (PT) (72.4 to 73.3%) were similar (P > 0.05) on increasing the proportion of tagasaste; on the other hand, the digestibility (D) of acid detergent fiber (ADF) had a tendency to diminish (P <= 0.05). The increase from 0 to 90% of tagasaste in the ration produced a decrease (P <= 0.05) of PT, ADF and metabolizable energy (ME) intake. The PT intake, in all treatments (188.4 to 368.3 g animal -1 d-1), supplied fattening nutrient requirements. The ME intake in T60 and T90 (3.43 and 2.69 Mcal animal-1 d-1, respectively) was not sufficient to supply nutrient requirements for a quick fattening."