Parkia platycephala pod meal as a total replacement for Tifton-85 hay in high-concentrate diets for lambs: ingestive behavior, physiological, and metabolic parameters

TL;DR

This study found that replacing Tifton-85 hay with Parkia platycephala pod meal in lamb diets does not harm their health and may improve nutrient use.

Contribution

The study demonstrates that faveira pod meal can fully replace Tifton-85 hay in high-concentrate lamb diets without adverse effects.

Findings

Lambs on faveira pod meal diet spent less time ruminating compared to those on Tifton-85 hay.

Faveira pod meal diet increased plasma glucose and decreased urine pH without affecting physiological parameters.

The replacement diet reduced water intake and improved nutrient utilization in finishing lambs.

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the total replacement of Tifton-85 hay with faveira (Parkia platycephala) pod meal on the ingestive behavior, physiological, and metabolic parameters of finishing lambs fed high-concentrate diets (faveira pod meal, 30%; whole corn grain, 20%; soybean meal, 14.5%; wheat bran, 33.2%; mineral salt, 2% and limestone, 0.3%). Fourteen Santa Inês lambs, 150 days old and with an initial body weight of 21 ± 2.4 kg, were assigned in a completely randomized design to two treatments (DTH: diet with Tifton-85 hay and DFP: diet with faveira pod meal replacing Tifton-85 hay), with seven replicates. Lambs fed the DTH diet spent more time ruminating (P < 0.001). Physiological parameters of the lambs did not differ according to the experimental diets (P ≥ 0.209). It was observed that the DFP diet reduced water intake (P = 0.048), water intake from feed (P = 0.029), and total water intake (P = 0.045). DFP diet resulted in higher plasma glucose concentration (P = 0.005), whereas the DTH led to an increase in urea concentration (P = 0.023). The DFP diet also resulted in a lower urine pH (P = 0.004). Faveira pod meal can totally replace Tifton-85 hay in high-concentrate diets for finishing lambs, as it does not compromise ingestive behavior or physiological parameters and leads to better nutrient utilization from the diet.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11250-026-04850-z.

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