Feed intake and digestibility were evaluate in sheep fed diets containing castor bean cake with no treatment (NT), treated with calcium carbonate (CC), urea (UR), phosphate monodicalcium (FOS) and autoclave (ACL). We used 20 sheep in a randomized block design, being 10 males and 10 females, crossbred Morada Nova. The diets were isonitrogenous and isocaloric. Ricin was partially denatured through the treatments of detoxification of the castor bean cake. There was no treatment effect of detoxification of the castor bean cake on the intake of nutrients. The digestibility of neutral detergent fiber in the NT treatment had a 57.52% average, higher than the CC treatment which had an average of 52.42%. The digestibility of ether extract was higher in CC treatment, which had an average of 71.29% compared to the FOS treatment that had an average of 68.22%. Regarding the effect of sex, there was a higher intake of neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber in males compared to females when intake was expressed as g/day. The castor bean cake NT can be used in rations for sheep as an alternative protein source participating in up to 8% of the total ration, without causing significant reductions in intake and digestibility.
sheep; biodiesel; digestibility; ricin; Ricinus communis; byproduct
