The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of the sequence of the supply of ingredients (feeding strategy), based diet forage cactus (Nopalea cochenillifera Salm Dyck) on intake, digestibility of nutrients, pH and ammonia concentration in the rumen fluid. The ingredients were provided five sheep of nondescript breeding, averaging 38,5 kg, gifted with rumen cannule the following sequences: 1 - (TMR, total mixed ration) at 7:00 and 15:00 h; 2 - (C, concentrate) at 7:00 h, (SC, spineless cactus) at 8:00 h, (C) at 15:00 h and (TGH, tifton grass hay) at 16:00 h; 3 - (C) at 7:00 h, (TGH) at 8:00 h, (C) at 15:00 h and (SC) at 16:00 h; 4 - (SC) at 7:00 h, (C) at 8:00 h, (TGH) at 15:00 and (C) at 16:00 h and 5 - (TGH) at 7:00 h, (C) at 8:00 h, (SC) at 15:00 h and (C) at 16:00 h. Were distributed into a 5 × 5 Latin Square with five treatments, five animals and five periods. The nutrient intake were not influenced by sequences The digestibility of dry matter (DM), organic matter(OM), total digestible nutrients (TDN), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and total carbohydrates differ between treatments. The ruminal pH and ammonia nitrogen were influenced by the times in collections sequences TGH/ C/SC/ TGH and C/TGH/C/SC. All feeding strategies can be used to feed sheep, except for total mixed ration.
ammonia nitrogen; complete mixing; nutrient intake; ruminal pH