Effect of detoxified castor bean meal inclusion in sugarcane ensilage on intake, digestibility, water balance, ruminal parameters, serum biochemistry, and ingestive behavior of sheep

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of including detoxified castor bean meal (DCM) in sugarcane ensilage (SCE) on nutrient metabolism, water balance, ruminal parameters and serum biochemistry of sheep. We used five intact male Santa Ines sheep, with 31.02 +/- 2.71 kg, housed in metabolic cages receiving treatment diets with 0 (control), 5, 10, 15, and 20 % as fed DCM in SCE. The animals were evaluated for 85 days, divided into five experimental periods. The intake of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent insoluble fibre (NDF) and non -fibrous carbohydrates (NFC) increased (P<0.05), while the apparent digestibility of DM, CP, and NDF decreased (P<0.05) with the inclusion of DCM in the SCE. Ruminal ammonia nitrogen decreased (P<0.05) while serum glucose and magnesium increased (P<0.05) with DCM inclusion in the SCE. Including DCM in the SCE did not influence (P>0.05) water balance. The intake and rumination efficiencies increased (P<0.05) with the inclusion of DCM in the SCE. We recommend the inclusion of up to 20 % DCM in the SCE for use in the diet of sheep.