Flour of ‘Seda’ (<i>Calotropis procera</i> SW) hay in diets of Santa Inês lambs: Biometry and yield of non-constituents components of the carcass

Abstract

This study evaluated the effects of the inclusion of growing levels of flour of ‘Seda’ (Calotropis procera SW) hay (FFS) in the diet of Santa Inês lamb as a substitute of forage sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) hay (FSF) on animal and carcass biometry, and on the non-constituent components of the carcass. Six replications of the four FFS-level treatments (100 FSF and 0% FFS, 66 and 33%, 33 and 66% and 0 and 100%) were randomly assigned to 24 male lambs. Slaughtering occurred when the animals reached 30.0 ± 0.4 kg of body weight. The increase in FFS levels decreased the thoracic perimeter, chest width and corporal condition in the living lambs, while in the carcass it affected negatively the thoracic perimeter, thorax depth, and leg perimeters. Flour of ‘Seda’ hay affected kidneys, liver and head/tongue proportions in relation to weight of empty body. Also, it decreased the proportion of omental and total fat. Flour of ‘Seda’ hay showed no negative effect on corporal when it participates up to 35% of the roughage fodder.