Twenty crossbred male Santa Inês sheep were assigned to a completely randomized block design to evaluate the effects of feeding dried cashew pulp (DCP) on performance, digestibility of nutrients, and nitrogen balance. It was also of particular interest to study the economical viability of adding DCP to diets of feedlot sheep. Diets were isonitrogenous and contained ground Tifton 85 hay (Cynodon spp), corn, soybean meal, salt, and one of the following levels of DCP: 0, 10, 20, 30 or 40%. Increasing the dietary levels of DCP had no significant effect on intakes of DM and CP and also on feed conversion. Neutral detergent fiber intake was increased while an opposite effect was observed for weight gain by adding DCP to the diets. For average daily weight gain is recommended the inclusion of 30% of DCP in the diet because of the greatest economical return rate. Inclusion of DCP in diets of finishing feedlot sheep reduced nitrogen retention and negatively affected total tract digestibilities of DM, OM, CP, NDF and ADF.
byproduct; feed conversion; weight gain
