FEEDING PERFORMANCE OF ZEBU MALES FED RATIONS BASED ON RUSTIC SACCHARINA

Forty eight Zebu males of 208 kg average live weight in couple allotme nt and slatted floor pens were used to study the feeding performance o n rations based on rustic Saccharina. A random block design with a 2 x 3 factorial arrangement was used. In all the treatments Saccharina ad libitum and green forage were offered at a rate of 3 kg/100 kg live w eight. The levels of home made protein molasses (0 and ad libitum) wer e studied and in each of the mentioned variants, 3 levels of soybean m eal were evaluated (0, 300 and 600 g/animal/day). The time dedicated t o feed intake and rumen activity was recorded by visual observation ev ery 5 min for 3 consecutive dap and the consumption of each type of fo odstuff as well as the rate of Saccharina intake. Interaction was obse rved (P < 0.05) in the ingestion time of forage and Saccharina and in the total time for ingestion + rumen activity. Saccharina intake was h igher (P < 0.001) in the treatment that was not supplemented with prot ein molasses, while soybean meal level did not alter this indicator. T he total dry matter intake related to live weight was higher (P < 0.05 ) in the treatment supplemented with protein molasses and with the hig hest level of soybean meal. The length of rumen activity decreased (P < 0.01) in the treatment supplemented with home made protein molasses or those supplemented with soybean meal (P < 0.01). Forage intake was carried out during the first hour, while Saccharina was consumed for e leven hours after having been offered. Rumen activity was variable thr oughout the day with a greater intensity at night. It is advisable to diminish the particle size when chopping the sugar cane for Saccharina production, with the purpose of reducing rumen activity during the da y and increasing the time available for Saccharina intake. Key words: feeding performance.