DIGESTIBILIDADE DE NUTRIENTES EM NOVILHAS LEITEIRAS EM PASTEJO ALIMENTADAS COM NÍVEIS DE FARELO DE MAMONA NA DIETA

Alternative sources of protein foods which do not compromise animal performance, may be a viable option to reduce supplementation costs by optimizing animal production. Thus, castor meal becomes a potential food for heifers, cause these animas does not generate income and profit in the system. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the digestibility of dry matter and nutrients in dairy heifers fed with levels of castor meal in diet. Twenty 5/8 blood Holstein x Zebu heifers were used. The heifers were distributed into four treatments, with 4 inclusion levels of castor bean meal on the diet: 0%; 3%, 6% and 9%. The grass was Brachiaria brizantha cv Marandu. The digestibility and dry matter intake were estimated from fecal production. The dry matter and nutrients digestibility coefficient was not influenced by the inclusion of castor bean meal in the diet. The inclusion of up to 9% of castor bean meal in the total diet of dairy heifers at grazing do not affect the digestibility.