Intake, digestibility, and performance of lambs fed spineless cactus cv. Orelha de Elefante Mexicana

Objective: To evaluate the effects of the carmine cochineal-resistant spineless cactus genotypes cv. Orelha de Elefante Mexicana (Opuntia) and Miuda (Nopalea) on the intake and digestibility of nutrients, ingestive behavior, performance and ultrasound measurements of growing lambs. Methods: Thirty-six male (non-castrated) Santa Ines lambs were used, with an average age of 6 months and an initial average weight of 22.0 ± 2.9 kg. They were distributed in a completely randomized design with 3 treatments (Tifton hay, Nopalea and Opuntia) and 12 replications, using initial weight as a covariate. The experimental period was 86 days, with the first 30 days used for the adaptation of the animals to the facilities, diets and management, and the remaining 56 days used for evaluation and data collection. Results: The intake and apparent digestibility of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), total carbohydrates (TC), non-fibrous carbohydrates (NFC), and total digestible nutrients (TDN) showed a significant difference (P 0.05) on feeding time, however, rumination time and total chewing time were higher (P 0.05). For the ultrasound measurements, Nopalea promoted an increase in the final loin eye area (FLEA), compared to Tifton hay. Conclusion: The use of spineless cactus variety Miuda leads to the greater intake and digestibility of nutrients. The evaluated carmine cochineal-resistant spineless cactus genotypes are alternatives to semi-arid regions as they do not negatively affect the performance of growing lambs.