Avaliação da torta de dendê na dieta de caititus (Pecari tajacu) criados em cativeiro

Abstract

The commercial breeding of collared peccary (Pecari tajacu) has awakened interest in farmers due to the demand for its meat consumption and industrial use of byproducts such as leather. However, the highest cost of production of this species in captivity are the expenses on food. In this context, the palm kernel cake (Elaeis guineensis), a fibrous byproduct extracted from the fruit nut, has a low cost and high availability in Pará State, Brazil, thus it’s possible to be used in the animal diet. Considering this, the aim of this study was to test the efficiency of the palm kernel cake inclusion in diets for collared peccaries in replacement of wheat bran, checking their weight gain, feed intake, carcass and non-components of carcass characteristics. For that, the effect of increasing levels of palm kernel cake inclusion with 0%, 7.5%, 15% and 22.5% in diets offered to the animals were analyzed. The experiment was conducted at Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation – Embrapa Eastern Amazon Region in 12 experimental stalls (12m2), using 40 male collared peccaries in finishing phase. Two animals were housed in each stall, in which they were given the corresponding treatment feed. Each enclosure served as an experimental unit, plus the stalls and their respective treatments were defined by drawing lots. The animals were divided according to weight and age, using a randomized block design. After the nutritional experiment the animals were slaughtered in a commercial slaughterhouse for pigs. According to the treatments used (0%, 7.5%, 15% and 22.5%), average daily gain (ADG) was 46.85g, 26.83g, 36.10g and 52.13g and daily feed intake was 437.68g, 440.27g, 436.54, 436.25g respectively. The animals gained more weight as the inclusion of palm kernel cake increased in their diet, although the significant difference (p<0.05) was only observed in T7,5% compared to T0% and T22%. For each treatment used (0%, 7.5%, 15% and 22.5%), carcass dressing percentage was 59.54%, 56.63%, 56.58%, 62.07%, and ham percentage 31.61%, 33.58%, 30.16% and 35.57%, respectively, without significant difference (p>0.05). Although there was no significant difference between the treatments used in both variables, there was an increase tendency of 4% and 12% for carcass dressing percentage and ham percentage, respectively, in T22, 5% when compared to T0%. Live weight, fasting weight, hot carcass, carcass length, blood, head, skin, organs, paws and commercial cuts were not influenced by the levels of palm kernel cake inclusion (p>0,05). The results suggest the inclusion to the level of 22%, of palm kernel cake in the collared peccary feed, in replacement of wheat bran, without any harms of animal performance.