Desempenho de ovinos confinados com dieta de alto grão: revisão

Abstract

The objective was to carry out a literature review on the performance of feedlot sheep submitted to a high whole grain diet. Brazil has a little more than 19.7 million heads of sheep distributed throughout the country, mainly in the South and Northeast regions. Currently, the demand for the consumption of sheep meat has been growing gradually, mainly in large Brazilian cities and capitals. The increase in herd productivity in the Northeast region is largely due to the introduction of specialized breeds for meat production, with genetic improvement work and optimization of herd management, making the region a national power in meat production. However, sheep farming in the Northeast consists mostly of extensive production systems, based on native plants of the Caatinga Biome, where in periods of drought the productivity of the herd is compromised. To achieve success in sheep activity, prior knowledge of the energy, protein, mineral and water requirements of the herd is necessary, which may vary according to the breed, age and physiological stage of the animals. The confinement of animals can improve the productive conditions of the herd, considering that it guarantees the producer a faster financial return applied to the activity. The confinement consists of the production of animals in batches, with delimited space, where they receive water and feed that contain bulky ingredients, proteins, energy and mineral and vitamin supplements. The supply of whole grains to small ruminants will allow greater chewing, longer rumination time, increased salivary production and consequently maintenance of ruminal pH. Performance indices such as body weight and warm carcass weight of lambs in confinement and supplementation systems are superior when compared to animals under grazing conditions without supplementation. The use of diets with only concentrate has its advantages, but there are risks and challenges, due to the absence of forage in its composition, this diet is characterized as high risk, making the animals susceptible to serious metabolic disorders. Thus, diets based on high grain become an option for finishing sheep in confinement, providing higher production rates than other types of diets.