The apparent digestibility and the intakes of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and total digestible nutrients (TDN) were estimated to evaluate the effects of replacement by corn by forage cactus meal (0, 33, 66 and 100%) in growing lambs diets. It was also aimed to compare the internal markers, indigestible neutral detergent (NFDi) and acid detergent fiber (ADFi) with total feces collection to estimate the apparent digestibility of nutrients. A 4 x 4 latin square experimental design with four lambs, four periods and four levels of replacement of corn by forage cactus meal, was used. The replacement of corn by forage cactus meal did not affect the intakes of DM, OM, CP and NDF. TDN intake decreased linearly. The apparent digestibility of DM and OM decreased linearly, but no effect was observed for CP and NDF digestibilities. There was no difference between NDFi and total feces collection in the estimate of nutrients digestibility.
alternative food; carbohydrates; energy; internal marker
