Consumo, comportamento ingestivo e perfil metabólico de ovinos alimentados com ração extrusada com diferentes relações volumoso:concentrado

The objective was to evaluate the effect of feeding extruded ration with different roughage: concentrate (R:C) ratios on consumption, ingestive behavior and blood parameters on sheep. Five ½ Dorper and ½ Santa Ines males, uncastrated, with an average body weight of 34.5 ± 4.10 kg and an average age of seven months were used. The experimental design used was the Latin Square 5x5. The treatments used were different R:C ratios (%) of extruded ration, witch were 30:70, 40:60, 50:50, 60:40 and 70:30. The assessed variables were dry matter intake (DMI), intake time, rumination, idleness, chewing and their relationship with the DMI of animals. The energetic and hepatic metabolites analyzed were fructosamine, total cholesterol, triglycerides, very low density lipoprotein (VLDL), alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyltransferase and aspartate-aminotransferase. The protein and mineral metabolites analyzed were urea, uric acid, albumin, creatinine, total proteins, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium. There was no effect on feeding extruded ration with different R:C ratios on the concentration of metabolites, except for uric acid. There was also no effect on DMI and ingestive behavior. It is concluded that sheep fed with extruded ration in the studied R:C ratios are able to keep energy, protein and mineral metabolism stable without developing liver and kidney problems.