Avaliação do comportamento ingestivo e desempenho de cordeiros em dois sistemas alimentares (creep feeding x campo nativo)

Abstract

The present study was carried out with the objective of evaluating the ingestive behavior and performance of lambs raised in different feeding systems (creep feeding x native field) and the final performance of the matrices. In this study, 24 crossbred lambs were used, distributed in a completely randomized manner into two experimental groups under different feeding systems. The animals in group 1 were lambs kept with their mothers in a native field and supplemented with concentrated food in a creep feeding system for a period of 90 days, and the lambs in group 2 were kept only in a native field with their mothers for the same period as the group 1. Seven assessments of the ingestive behavior of 3 test lambs from each system were carried out, carried out every 15 minutes, analyzing the activities of rumination, breastfeeding, access to the trough (only in the group in the creep feeding system), grazing, idleness and water intake, noting the activity that was being carried out at the time. Furthermore, access time to the trough was monitored. The lambs were evaluated for average daily gain and final weight. The sows had their body condition score estimated at the beginning and end of the experiment. Lambs kept in a creep feeding system grazed less often than lambs kept in native fields. Grazing was the activity that required the most time for the lambs in the native field group, while in the creep feeding group the activity that took up most of the lambs' time was idleness. The animals in the creep feeding group showed a higher average daily gain than the native field group. The creep feeding group also stood out with a higher average final weight. The sows in the creep feeding group had a higher body condition score than the dams in the native field group. Therefore, the food system to which the lambs are subjected influences their ingestive behavior and performance, as well as the performance of the sows.