Use of Tithonia diversifolia (hemsl.) A. Gray in the diet of growing lambs

• Main Author: Cadena-Villegas,S.
• Publication Date: 2020
• Other Authors: Martínez-Maldonado,H.G., Sosa-Montes,E., Mendoza-Pedroza,S.I., Salinas-Rios,T., Flores-Santiago,E.J., Fuente,J.I. Alejos de la
• Format: Article
• Language: eng
• Source: Arquivo brasileiro de medicina veterinária e zootecnia (Online)
• Download full: http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0102-09352020000501929
• topic: digestibility; feed intake; weight gain; feed conversion; lambs

ABSTRACT Two assays were conducted to study the Tithonia diversifolia (Td) plant: (1) chemical analysis and in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) of plant parts and (2) productive performance of lambs fed a traditional diet or a Td diet (30% of Td plus 70% of the traditional diet). The plant parts studied were leaves (L), leaves and petioles (LP); and leaves, petioles and stems (LPS). Feed intake, weight gain and feed conversion were registered weekly during five weeks of experimentation. The L showed higher (P<0.05) crude protein content (26.7%) than LP and LPS (25.5 and 19.7%, respectively). Crude fiber (11.2%), neutral detergent fiber (45.4%), cellulose (16.9%) and hemicellulose (33.5%) were lower in L than in LP (12.5, 46.7, 18.0 and 35.7%, respectively) and LPS (22.6, 59.2, 27.0 and 43.5%, respectively). The L and LP showed the highest IVDMD (89.2 and 88.2%, respectively vs. 77.2% of LPS). The Td diet resulted in greater feed intake and weight gain and lower feed conversion than the traditional diet. Therefore, Tithonia diversifolia is a forage plant of good quality for lambs which does not affect the productive performance.