Ureia protegida na alimentação de ovinos

Abstract

Protected urea in the feeding of ruminants can lead to better synergy among feed components, resulting in improved nutrient utilization by the animals. The aim was to evaluate the effect of protected urea, alone or in combination with common urea, on intake and digestibility in lambs. Fifteen crossbred Dorper x Santa Inês lambs, approximately two months old, were randomly allocated to metabolic cages and received diets with 30% forage and 70% concentrate. The offered treatments consisted of corn silage as the forage portion and three different concentrate formulations: common urea, protected urea, and a combination of common and protected urea. A completely randomized design (CRD) with three treatments and five replications was used. The data were evaluated for ANOVA assumptions at a 5% significance level. Dry matter intake (DMI), the ratio of dry matter intake to body weight (DMI/%BW), and metabolic weight (DMI/MW), crude protein intake (CPI), neutral detergent fiber intake (NDFI), and acid detergent fiber intake (ADFI) showed no significant differences. The same was observed for the digestibility of dry matter (DDM), crude protein digestibility (CPD), and neutral detergent fiber digestibility (NDFD). It is concluded that the use of protected urea, compared to common urea, does not alter the intake and nutritional parameters of lambs.