Sheep confined and fed with diet based on hole cassava as appropriate technology for small producers in Brazil

Abstract

The survival of family farming requires the modernization and adoption of efficient technologies. As cassava is present in most of the properties of small producers it is important to search for its alternative for use. Different of corn, cassava harvest is not fixed and there is possible to use of the aerial part, a little-known co-product for double the yield. The use of cassava in animal feed has been diffused, but the whole plant (roots + shoots) is little known. The sheep farming is another activity with great potential for small producers. This information it was investigated the technical-economic evaluation of the use of integral cassava in the diet of sheep, to enable to small farms the production of meat, with low cost and regular supply. To validate the technology an experiment was installed by using twelve Santa Inês ewes fed rations of corn and integral cassava. The behavior of the animals was assessed with CCD cameras with infra-red. The results showed higher weight gain from sheep treated with ground integral cassava. The use of aerial parts of cassava allowed cost reduction and increased performance with a ration more profitable than corn. Besides efficiency, the diet based on cassava is available year-round and can be developed on the property by simple and easy to spread technology, which facilitates the diversification and sustainability of small farming.