Feeding Prickly Pear Cactus (PCC) to Ruminants

Transcription

1 Feeding Prickly Pear Cactus (PCC) to Ruminants Jesús M Fuentes-Rodríguez Ph. D. International Cactus Pear Workshop University of the Free State Bloemfontein, South África January 215 Feeding PPC Ruminants PPC Characteristics Arid and Semiarid lands cover > 5 % of Mexico s territory Extreme environmental conditions Long drougth periods Forage scarcity Availability Nutritional Composition Limit animal production Find new alternatives as forage Low cost Prickly Pear Cactus IMPORTANCE OF CACTUS IN ARID AND SEMIARID LANDS PPC Characteristics Always green Helps to preserve ecological equilibrium Long life Cold and heat tolerant Better efficiency to produce dry matter because of the photisynthetic mechanism Year around green and suculent, even during dry periods. High adaptation to different soils Disease resistant Do not compite with grasses because of root system Low maintenance cost 5 Produce forage, fruit, and other useful products. Prevention of soil degradation. 6 1

2 PPC Characteristics Table 1. Chemical composition (Opuntia spp.) Nutritional Content High water content Medium energy content High Calcium and Potassium content Medium fiber content Low protein and phosphpurous content 7 Specie DM CP NFE EE CF ASH O. robusta O. lindheimeri O Ficus-indica O. rastrera O.engelmanii Mean Table 2- In situ Dry Matter Digestibility of cactus species Time (hr.) O. lindheimeri Var. lind. O. rastrera O. megacantha O. lindheimeri Var. subarmatha mean What do we need? To increase utilización of nutrients To increase nutrient content (protein) Components of Cell Wall Degradation of celulose Celulose 2-8% 1 2 Liberación of celulasas C1 Hemicelulose -11% Ruminant Opuntia sp + microorganismos Lignin 2-8% Glucolisis Desagregatión Pectic substances 2-8% 11 Celobiosa Glucose + Glucose 1P Intracelular Metabolism 12 Extracelular Hidrolisis 2

3 Use of Cactus can Use of Cactus can Lower cost of production Less need of buying forage during dry seasons. Water reservoir Helps to preserve humidity Benefits wildlife Helps to establish grasses 1 Cover requeriments Calcium Sodium Potasium Magnesium Deficient Phosphourous Copper Manganese 1 Limitations Most used species Cactus used as forage are wild No Control Opuntia rastrera O. robusta Do not use Improved Varieties Production techniques Crop techniques Processing techniques Requiere large quantities to cover nutrient requirements of animals Spines can harm animals when consumed direct O. lindheimeri O. cantabrigiensis O. streptacantha O. leucotricha O. imbricata O. leptocaulis O. microdasys O. pheacanta O. rastrera O. pheacantha Processing method 1 standing plant burn spines cut edges of plant O. Microdays O. lindehimeri

4 Processing method 2 cut parts of plants transport them to animal unit burn spines chop offer to animal Processing method cut parts of plants transport them to animal unit make silage offer to animal SILAGE Processing method cut parts of plants transport them to animal unit Mechanical processing offer to animal

5 Cactus Cutter Dairy Cactus can be feed Dairy cattle Beef cattle High palatability High digestibility Easy management Goats Resistant to transportation Pigs Good recovery rate Poultry Productivity Camels Easy establisment Wildlife PPC 1 2 Urea Alfalfa Factor A in natura Ensilada F a c t o r B PPC Molases Yeast DBG PPC Molases PPC 5

6 in natura ensilada 8 Proteína Cruda Digestibilidad Tiempo de incubación (hr) OM Digestibility of PPC Animal Performance using cactus Dairy cattle 25- kg/day=milk 5-15 kg Beef cattle 1- kg/day=gain -.5kg g/day= gain -1g/day Goats g/day= milk 5-15 g/day Dairy cattle Consumption of cactus 2 a kg. per day Cactus was chopped. Suplemented with corn stover, alfalfa, sorghum, grass and agave. Production levels between 1 to 18 kg per day per cow Cactus supplied.5% NEl 12.2% protein 6% crude fiber +1% Ca 15% P Beef cattle Goats Consumption of cactus between 1 a 2 kg. per animal per day Animals were grazing Average daily gain betwwen.1 a.6 kg. Cactus supplied 7.8% Enm 2.6% protein +1 % de Ca 5% de P grams/day Control Mean weigth gain Ensiled PPC 6

7 o o Twenty Dorper male Initial weight kg 16 1 Mean weigth gain 12 1 Grama/day Control Ensoled PPC : RESULTS RESULTS Table :. Productive performance of sheep Table. Productive performance of beef cattle Grazing PPC PPC+enzyme Variable Grazing PPC PPC+enzyme No. of animals Initial wt (kg) DMC Kg/d* 6.7 b 6.7 b 7.2 a Final wt (kg) ADG (kg) ADG Kg/d*.751 b. 792 b 1. a FC Kg* 9.1 a 8.5 ab 7. b Feed comsumption/day (kg) Feed Conversion (kg feed/kg gain) Conclussions Cactus (Opuntia spp) are a valuable resource for animal feeding in arid and semiarid lands. Thank you Contact: jesus_fuentes@hotmail.com Cactus (Opuntia spp) can be an important crop in South Africa for Ruminant Feeding