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Nutritional evaluation and productivity of supplemented sheep grazing in semiarid rangeland of northeastern Brazil

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Abstract

Sheep production systems in Brazilian caatinga rangelands require supplementation adapted to changes in floristic and chemical composition as dry seasons progress. Meeting sheep nutritional needs in extensive semiarid systems is challenging because of sheep dietary preferences and habits. The objective of this trial was to evaluate the substitutive effect of concentrate supplementation on grazing sheep in the Brazilian caatinga rangeland and its consequences on performance in different seasons. The trial was conducted from March to August 2013 at Embrapa Goat and Sheep in Sobral, Ceará State, Brazil. Thirty-two Brazilian Somali multiparous ewes were submitted to estrus synchronization and controlled breeding. At the start of the trial, ewes averaged 30.45 + 2.60 kg body weight (BW). Ewes were divided into four groups and individually offered 0, 200, 350, or 500 g supplement head−1 day−1. Intake prediction and digestibility trials were evaluated at three periods: rainy season (April), transition rainy-dry (June), and dry season (August). Sheep weights were taken every 14 days to measure their performance from late gestation until weaning. Ewe BW and body condition score changes were determined too. Lamb BW changes were also measured every 14 days from birth through weaning. A completely randomized design with split plot arrangement using eight replications was used for intake and digestibility measurements. The differences between supplement offered (0, 200, 350, and 500 g sheep-1) and season (rainy, transition rainy-dry, and dry) were submitted to analyses of variance and multiple means were separated, where differences were detected, using the Tukey’s test. During lactation up through weaning, ewes supplemented at 500 g day−1 had greater BW than ewes without supplement. Ewes supplemented with 200 g concentrate head−1 day−1 had 9.1% greater (P ≤ 0.05) BW at weaning and their lambs had 19.7% greater birth and 16.6% heavier wean BW despite lower dry matter intake compared to unsupplemented animals. Supplementation with 200 g concentrate increased carrying capacity by 28.8% during the dry season and by 20.5% during the rainy season. This study confirmed that in the dry season, when quality of rangeland forages decreases, supplementation contributes to greater DMI, improves postpartum and lactation BW recovery of ewes, and contributes to greater lamb birth and wean weights. Moreover, supplementation leads to feed substitution effects that may increase rangeland resilience by mitigating overgrazing. Supplementation with 200 g concentrate can also prevent negative energy balance for grazing animals, improving longer postnatal recovery, longer intervals between parturitions, fewer double and is necessary to ensure a better BW at birth to lambs.

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Abbreviations

ADF:

Acid detergent fiber

ADFAD:

Acid detergent fiber apparent digestibility

ADFI:

Acid detergent fiber intake

ADIN:

Acid detergent insoluble nitrogen

ADL:

Acid detergent lignin

aNDF:

Amylase neutral detergent fiber

BCS:

Body condition scoring

BW:

Body weight

CP:

Crude protein

CPAD:

Crude protein apparent digestibility

CPI:

Crude protein intake

DM:

Dry matter

DMAD:

Dry matter apparent digestibility

DMI:

Dry matter intake

EE:

Ether extract

IVDMD:

In vitro dry matter digestibility

LIPE®:

External marker consisting of pure and enriched lignin

NDIN:

Neutral detergent insoluble nitrogen

NFC:

Nonfiber carbohydrates

OM:

Organic matter

TC:

Total carbohydrates

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Funding

This study received financial support from FUNCAP (Fundação Cearense de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico), Embrapa and CAPES (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Animal Science Department, Centro de Ciências Agrárias e Biológicas, Universidade Estadual Vale do Acaraú, Avenida da Universidade, 850, Sobral, CE, 62040-370, Brazil

    A. R. Araújo

  2. Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Avenida Antônio Carlos, no. 6627, Campus Pampulha, C.P. 567, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil

    N. M. Rodriguez, I. Borges & E. O. S. Saliba

  3. Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, Embrapa Goats and Sheep, Estrada Sobral-Groaíras, Km 04, Caixa Postal 145, Sobral, CE, 62010-970, Brazil

    Marcos Cláudio Pinheiro Rogério, R. C. F. F. Pompeu, F. E. P. Fernandes & J. P. Monteiro

  4. Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, Embrapa Pantanal, Rua 21 de Setembro, no. 1.880, Nossa Senhora de Fátima, Corumbá, MS, 79320-900, Brazil

    S. A. Santos

  5. Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Stephenville, TX, 76401-9698, USA

    J. P. Muir

Authors
  1. A. R. Araújo
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  2. N. M. Rodriguez
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  3. Marcos Cláudio Pinheiro Rogério
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  4. I. Borges
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  5. E. O. S. Saliba
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  6. S. A. Santos
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  7. R. C. F. F. Pompeu
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  8. F. E. P. Fernandes
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  9. J. P. Monteiro
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  10. J. P. Muir
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marcos Cláudio Pinheiro Rogério.

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The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All applicable international, national, and/or institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed. The experimental protocol was approved by the Animal Ethics Committee at Embrapa Goats and Sheep, Sobral – CE, Brazil, registered with the number 01/2013.

Informed consent

The authors declare to the proper purposes that the experiments comply with the current laws of Brazil, where they were performed. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Araújo, A.R., Rodriguez, N.M., Rogério, M.C.P. et al. Nutritional evaluation and productivity of supplemented sheep grazing in semiarid rangeland of northeastern Brazil. Trop Anim Health Prod 51, 957–966 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-018-1781-6

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