Effect of Sugarcane Particle Size on Nutrient Intake, Digestibility, Ingestive Behavior, Growth Performance, Carcass Composition, and Meat Quality of Lambs

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of sugarcane particle size (short and long) on nutrient intake, digestibility, ingestive behavior, growth performance, tissue composition of the leg, centesimal composition, and physicochemical parameters of the meat of feedlot lambs. We used 24 castrated male Santa Inês lambs aged at 6 months, with an initial average weight of 23.5 ± 2.3 kg. The animals were fed two diets: short‐particle sugarcane (SPS) and long‐particle sugarcane (LPS), offered in total mixed ration at a roughage:concentrate ratio of 40:60. Lambs fed LPS presented higher ( p < 0.05) dry matter (+6.3%) and organic matter (+6.9%) intake, higher ( p < 0.05) rumination time (+31.8%), and better ( p < 0.05) feed conversion (−15.6%). Despite the higher ( p < 0.05) nutrient digestibility observed for lambs receiving SPS, there was no effect ( p > 0.05) of the roughage particle size on the final body weight (33.4 kg) or average daily gain (0.18 kg/day). The sugarcane particle size did not influence ( p > 0.05) the weights of the muscles (1.54 kg), fat (0.31 kg), and bones (0.48 kg) of the leg of the lambs. No effect was observed ( p > 0.05) of the form of roughage processing on the parameters of color, tenderness, or ether extract of lamb meat. Therefore, it is recommended to offer LPS in a total mixed ration to feedlot lambs.