Productive and Ruminal Microbiological Behavior of Sheep Fed with Two Levels of Dehydrated Orange Residue

Objective: To evaluate the productive and ruminal microbiological behavior of sheep fed with two levels of dehydrated orange residue (DOR). Design/methodology/approach: Thirty Dorper x Katahdin crossbred male sheep with an average live weight of 22 ± 1.0 kg were distributed in a completely randomized design, with three treatments and ten repetitions. The distribution of treatments was as follows: T1 = diet with 0% DOR (control), T2 = diet with 15% DOR, and T3 = diet with 30% DOR. The variables evaluated were daily weight gain, dry matter intake, feed conversion, ruminal pH, and microbiological analysis. Results: There were no significant differences (p>0.05) in the productive variables due to the inclusion of DOR in the diet. Similarly, the concentration of ruminal microorganisms did not present significant differences between treatments. Study limitations/implications: The study did not include an economic analysis that would demonstrate a reduction in production costs by decreasing the inclusion of maize in the diet. Conclusions: Maize grain is one of the most commonly used cereals as an energy source in sheep feeding; however, it can be replaced by DOR up to 30% without affecting the productive and ruminal microbiological variables in fattening sheep.