<b>Effect of the replacement of Tifton grass hay and the corn meal by forage cactus and soybean meal on the ingestion of foods and physiological parameters</b> - DOI: 10.4025/actascianimsci.v27i4.1149

Abstract

The experiment was conducted to evaluate the ingestive behavior of lactating Holstein cows fed diet with different replacement levels (0; 12.9; 25.8; 38.7 e 51.6%) of forage cactus (Opuntia fícus indica, Mill). Five cows were assigned to a 5x5 square design. The registration of variables behaviors was accomplished in a visual way, at intervals of five minutes, in 24 hours. The registration of room temperature, humidity relative, rectal temperature and respiratory frequency were performed in the morning and in the afternoon. The rumination time decreased linearly and resting increased linearly; the dry matter intake (DMI), the rumination and feeding efficiency in function of DMI had quadratic behavior; the fiber neutral detergent intake (FNDI), the rumination and feeding efficiency in function of FNDI decreased linearly; the rectal temperature in the afternoon and the water intake decreased linearly, in function of forage cactus levels in the diet