To evaluate the intake, nutrients apparent digestibilities and nitrogen balance of corn silage, alfalfa and coastcross bermudagrass hays a digestibility trial with sheep was conducted. Fifteen crossbred castrated sheeps, with average live weigth 47.5 kg, were used in a randomized blocks design with four repplicates. The dry matter intake, in g/kg0.75, was influenced by feed and the higher value (68.06) was observed in animals fed with alfalfa hay. The ether extract and neutral detergent fiber intakes were smaller for animals fed with corn silage. The total digestible nutrients and crude protein intakes was higher for animals fed with alfalfa hay, both values were 210.97 g/day and 643.42 g/day, respectively. This result is related to the high nutritional value and dry matter content of the alfalfa hay. The crude protein and dry matter apparent digestibilities (56.47 and 73.92%, respectively) were higher on animals fed alfalfa hay. The nitrogen balance was positive only for animals fed alfalfa hays. The average live weight gain were 100.79 and 147.62 g/day for coastcross bermudagrass and alfalfa hays, respectively. The animals fed with corn silage lost live weight (-34.92 g/day). This result could be associated with the fact that the chemical composition of the hays is better than the corn silage.
crude protein; neutral detergent fiber; nitrogen balance
