Effect of Licuri cake supplementation on performance, digestibility, ingestive behavior, carcass traits and meat quality of grazing lambs

Abstract

This study evaluated the effect of Licuri cake (LC) supplementation replacing soybean meal in concentrate on performance, digestibility, ingestive behavior, carcass traits and meat quality of grazing lambs. Thirty-two uncastrated Santa Inês lambs with a mean body weight (BW) of 24.7 ± 0.9 kg were distributed into 4 treatment diets in a randomized design. Lambs were fed Aruana grass (Panicum maximum cv. Aruana) as roughage and supplemented with a concentrate composed of ground corn, soybean meal and mineral premix. Licuri (Syagrus coronata) cake was added to concentrate at 0 (control), 87.0 (LOW), 174 (MED), and 260 (HIGH) g/kg of dietary DM. Lambs supplemented with LC did not affect DM Panicum maximum intake (P >0.05). However, there was a linear increase (P <0.001) in the concentrate mixture and total intake of ether extract (EE) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF). The total intake of non-fibrous carbohydrates (NFC) and crude protein (CP) intake of concentrate supplementation decreased (P < 0.001) by LC inclusion. The CP total intake quadratically decreased by LC inclusion. The digestibilities of DM, CP and EE were not influenced (P> 0.05) by LC inclusion. However, the digestibility of NFC and NDF (P < 0.05) decreased with the inclusion of LC. Licuri cake inclusion promoted a linear reduction in the time spent feeding and a linear increase in the time spent ruminating, DM, CP and NDF feeding efficiency and NDF rumination. However, DM and CP rumination efficiency presented a linear reduction (P <0.05). Licuri cake inclusion in concentrate mixture up to 174 g/kg DM improved final BW, total weight gain and average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion (P <0.001). No differences (P>0.05) on carcass traits, morphometric measurements, weight of commercial cuts, cooking weight loss, shear force, sarcomere length, moisture, ash and protein content of the longissimus lumborum were observed among treatments. There was a quadratic increase (P = 0.03) on the lipid content of meat lamb. The inclusion of LC in the diet of lambs linearly increased the a* (P = 0.007), b* (P=0.091) and C* (P = 0.011) color index of the meat. It is recommended the medium level of LC (174 g/kg DM) replacing soybean meal in concentrate of grazing lambs because increases the time spent eating, final weight and ADG of animals and improved the feed conversion rate without change most of the carcass traits and meat quality.