Bio-economic assessment of sheep supplementation in marandu palisadegrass pastures

Goal was to evaluate the effect of mineral and/or energy-protein supplementation on intake, behavior, production response, pH, rumen ammonia and production cost of sheep. Twenty female lambs and five rumen-cannulated lambs were used to test supplementation effects on weight gain and nutritional characteristics, respectively. Treatments evaluated were: mineral mixture, supplement with 20 and 25% of crude protein offered at 0.5 and 1.0% of body weight. Supplementation at 1.0% of body weight reduced forage intake. Average daily gain were: -58.33, -1.07, -9.53, 19.27 and 34.73 g day-1 per animal, for mineral mixture, supplements with 20 and 25% of crude protein supplied at 0.5% of body weight and 20 and 25% crude protein provided at 1.0% of body weight, respectively. Rumen pH for all supplements was maintained above 6.20. Values of rumen ammonia nitrogen were 5.10, 9.48, 11.54, 17.51 and 22.45 mg dL-1 for supplements: mineral mixture, 20 and 25% of crude protein provided at 0.5% of body weight and 20 and 25% of crude protein supplied at 1.0% of body weight, respectively. The best economic return was obtained with the supplement 25% of crude protein provided at 1.0% of body weight.