Desempenho e características de carcaça de cordeiros Santa Inês confinados, filhos de ovelhas submetidas à suplementação alimentar durante a gestação Production and carcass characteristic of confined lambs born from Santa Inês ewes supplemented in different stages of pregnancy

Objetivou-se avaliar o desempenho e as características de carcaça de cordeiros confinados, filhos de ovelhas Santa Inês submetidas à suplementação em diferentes fases da gestação. Foram inseminadas 48 ovelhas Santa Inês, com peso vivo médio de 40 kg, distribuídas em quatro tratamentos em diferentes fases da gestação. No tratamento controle, os animais receberam somente pastagem de capim-tanzânia e resíduo de mandioca e, nos demais, houve suplementação alimentar com milho e farelo de soja, fornecidos conforme a fase de gestação (terços inicial e médio: 90:10 e 75:25). Após o desmame, os cordeiros foram confinados e receberam ração peletizada com 75% NDT e 20% PB. Ao atingirem peso vivo médio de 30 kg, foram abatidos. A suplementação alimentar nas diferentes fases de gestação não influenciou nenhuma das variáveis estudadas e, portanto, o resíduo de mandioca pode ser fornecido às ovelhas durante toda a gestação.This study was conducted to evaluate production and carcass characteristics of confined lambs born from Santa Inês ewes, which were supplemented in different stages of pregnancy. Forty-eight Santa Inês ewes averaging 40 kg of body weight were randomly assigned to one of four treatments as follows: control, animals received pasture of Panicum maximum Jacq cv. Tanzania and residue of cassava bagasse while in the remaining treatments animals were fed the same as in the control but also a supplement (corn and soybean meal) from day 1 to day 50 (treatment 2), from day 51 to day 100 (treatment 3), or from day 101 to calving (treatment 4). Proportions of corn and soybean meal in the supplement varied from 90:10 (initial and mid gestation) to 10:90 (end of gestation). After weaning, lambs received a pelleted diet containing 75% TDN and 20% CP and were finished in drylot. Lambs were slaughtered when they reached 30 kg of body weight. Supplementation of ewes with corn and soybean meal during different stages of pregnancy did not affect any of the studied variables. Therefore, residue of cassava bagasse can be fed to ewes at all gestational stages.