This research was carried out at the Sector of Ovinocultura of the Animal Science Department UFLA in order to investigate the effect of different levels of Neutral Detergent Fiber ( NDF) in the diet fed ovine on nutrients intake and apparent digestibility of the diet and on the feeding behavior. A feeding behavior study and an in vivo digestibility assay were conducted to determine the nutrients intake and the apparent digestibility coefficient. Sixteen adults, not pregnant and not lactating, Santa Inês ewes weighting 45,01 ± 2,15 kg were used. The experimental design was in a 4x4 latin square, with four treatments (8,67%; 17,34%; 26,01% and 34,69% of forage NDF) and four periods. The intake of DM, OM, metabolizable energy, CP, digestible protein, NDF, digestible NDF, ADF and digestible ADF as well as the apparent digestibility of DM, OM and ADF were influenced by treatments tested. Therefore the apparent digestibility of NDF and CP, were not influenced by treatments.
Carbohidrates; neutral detergent fiber; intake; ovine
