RESUMO O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar os efeitos da utilização de torta de crambe na ração de ovinos sobre o consumo e a digestibilidade. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o quadrado latino 4x4 com quatro animais, quatro períodos e quatro tratamentos. Os tratamentos avaliados foram rações com 30% de silagem de sorgo e 70% de torta de crambe (30:70) e rações com 70% de silagem de sorgo e 30% de torta de crambe (70:30) em cordeiros sob consumo voluntário e controlado. Os animais que receberam a ração com a relação 30:70 consumiram mais matéria seca (MS), proteína bruta (PB), extrato etéreo (EE) por kg/dia, % PV/dia e g/kg PV0,75. A relação 30:70 proporcionou maior coeficiente de digestibilidade de MS e FDN. Os animais no regime voluntário apresentaram maior consumo de MS, PB, EE por kg/dia, % PV/dia e g/kg PV0,75. A torta de crambe apresentou coeficientes de digestibilidade superiores à silagem de sorgo, independentemente do regime de consumo. A relação 30:70 apresentou diferença para o N-ingerido e N-absorvido. A torta de crambe apresenta alta digestibilidade dos nutrientes e aceitação pelos animais quando associada à silagem de sorgo.

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of using crambe cake in diets for sheep on intake and digestibility. The experimental design was a 4x4 Latin square with four animals, four periods and four treatments. The treatments were diets with 30% sorghum silage and 70% crambe cake (30:70) and a diet with 70% sorghum silage and 30% crambe cake (70:30) in lambs under the voluntary and controlled intake. The animals who fed a diet with a 30:70 ratio consumed more dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE) per kg/day, %BW/day and g/kgPV0,75. The ration provided higher digestibility of DM and NDF. The animals in the voluntary regime presented higher consumption of DM, CP, EE per kg/day, %BW/day and g/kgPV0,75. The cake crambe presented digestibility coefficient higher than sorghum silage, regardless of the regime intake. The 30:70 ration presented a difference in N intake and N absorbed. The cake crambe has high nutrient digestibility and acceptance by animals when associated with sorghum silage.

The results show that the milk production activity in the county of Ilhéus, Bahia state, Brazil, lacks of technologies that could improve milk productivity. General information about the farms were obtained through a survey. Thirty-seven (43.5%) farms were smaller or equal to 50ha and 65 (76.5%) farms produced 50l of milk per day, characterizing these farmers as small producers. In 46 (54.1%) farms no information concerning costs, level of production, reproduction efficiency or sanity of the herds were found. In 29 (34.2%) farms the information was registered in portable computer database, six (7.1%) farms used structured index cards and four (4.7%) farms had desktop computers. Forty-one (48.2%) farms had roofed and paved milk facilities, three (3.5%) farms had not roofed but paved, in 31 (36.5%) farms the corrals were not roofed and unpaved, and 10 (11.8%) farms had no constructions.

Aiming to determining the prevalence of tuberculosis and brucellosis in Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil, 916 cows aged 24 months or above and allocated in 85 farms were tested. The compared cervical intradermic tuberculosis and serological buffered acidified antigen (BAA), slow tube serum agglutination (STSA) and 2-mercapto ethanol (2-ME) tests were used. The prevalence of tuberculosis and brucellosis was 2.8 and 1.9%, respectively. The distribution of positive farms (10.6%) is in agreement with the notion that these diseases are widespread in the country.