Desempenho e características de carcaça de ovinos submetidos a ganho compensatório

Abstract

Aiming to assess the different levels of feed restriction for a compensatory gain on the performance, and sheep carcass characteristics, were used twenty four males, Santa Inês breed, allocated in fully randomized design, in which were investigated four levels of feed restriction (0, 20, 40 and 60%). Eighteen animals with average body weight of 20.3 Kg were submitted during 64 days to 20, 40 and 60% of feed restriction based on the consumption of the animals fed ad libtum (0% restriction) and later all animals were fed unrestrainedly for a second period of 64 days. Regression analysis was used to study the levels of feed restriction, when significant differences were detected in the analysis of variance. The feed restriction promoted a negative effect under the performance of the animals, in a way that the increase in the feed restriction level resulted in lower weight of animals at the end of the first period. In the feedback period the animals submitted to previous feed restriction presented similar daily dry matter intake, however better food conversion and feed efficiency, reflecting a higher daily weight gain, a fact which characterized the compensatory gain. Nevertheless, the feedback period was not sufficient for animals to present the same final weight as animals fed unrestrainedly during all the experiment, resulting a partial compensatory gain. The negative linear effect of restrictive diets under the animals final performance reflected in smaller values of body weight at rise, body weight at slaughter, warm carcass weight, empty carcass weight, cool carcass weight, and commercial meat cuts weight. The management of feed restriction for 64 days followed by ad libtum feed for a similar period causes negative effects on the performance of sheep in termination, resulting in losses in carcass weights and commercial meat cuts weight