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Replacement of wheat bran with spineless cactus (Opuntia ficus indica Mill cv Gigante) and urea in the diets of Holstein x Gyr heifers

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the replacement effect of wheat bran with spineless cactus and urea in heifers. Twenty-four heifers with an average initial weight of 185 ± 13 kg were used in this experiment. Four levels of spineless cactus corrected with urea and ammonium sulfate (9:1) were studied: 0, 33, 66, and 100 % replacement with wheat bran. Samples of feed, orts, and feces were analyzed to estimate the intake and digestibility of dry matter (DM) and nutrients. Indigestible neutral detergent fiber was used as an internal marker. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design. Dry matter, neutral detergent fiber, and total digestible nutrient intake demonstrated a quadratic effect (P < 0.05). Rumen degradable protein intake increased linearly (P < 0.05). The maximum DM digestibility was estimated to be 0.67 with a 43 % replacement. Crude protein and NDF digestibility increased linearly (P < 0.05). The total body weight gain and average daily gain decreased linearly with the replacement. Thus, it is practical to replace wheat bran with spineless cactus containing urea and ammonium sulfate up to 66 % in sugar cane-based diets.

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Conflicts of Interest

Me, Carolina Corrêa de Figueiredo Monteiro, author of manuscript entitled "Wheat bran replacement with spineless cactus (Opuntia ficus indica Mill cv Gigante) and urea in diets to heifers", declare that within the past three years and for the near future I ( ) have (x) don't have any actual or potential conflict of interest including any financial, personal or other relationship with other people of organizations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Zootecnia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco (UFRPE), Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiro, s/n, Dois Irmãos, 52171-900, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil

    Carolina Corrêa de Figueiredo Monteiro, Marcelo Andrade Ferreira, Rafael de Paula Xavier de Andrade & Emmanuelle Cordeiro da Silva

  2. Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciência Animal e Pastagens, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco (UFRPE) Unidade Acadêmica de Garanhuns (UAG), Avenida Bom Pastor, s/n, Boa Vista, 55292-270, Garanhuns, Pernambuco, Brazil

    Airon Aparecido Silva de Melo, José Mauricio de Souza Campos, Julyana Sena Rodrigues Souza & Evannielly Thuanny dos Santos Silva

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  1. Carolina Corrêa de Figueiredo Monteiro
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  2. Airon Aparecido Silva de Melo
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Correspondence to Carolina Corrêa de Figueiredo Monteiro.

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de Figueiredo Monteiro, C.C., Silva de Melo, A.A., Ferreira, M.A. et al. Replacement of wheat bran with spineless cactus (Opuntia ficus indica Mill cv Gigante) and urea in the diets of Holstein x Gyr heifers. Trop Anim Health Prod 46, 1149–1154 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-014-0619-0

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