Evaluation of sheep fed on multinutritional blocks with garlic extract

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of supplementation with three formulations of nutritional blocks and its consumption by 60 sheep from the Pantaneiro genetic group. The animals were weighed (35 kg ± 4.69) and separated into three groups of 20 each: G1 (control block), G2 (block with palatalising), and G3 (block + garlic extract). The solidified mineral supplement of silage of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) provided ad libitum had an estimated consumption of 0.6%/kg/day. The sheep were kept in pastures in a grazing system cultivated with the grass Brachiaria brizantha ‘Marandu’. The best performance was obtained by G2 (P < 0.05) for weight gain, with 105 g of feed conversion ratio 75% more efficient than G1 and 107% more efficient than G3. The provision of multinutrient blocks for sheep kept in pastures of U. brizantha ‘Marandu’ contributed to the improvement of the animal's nutritional status. Among the formulations tested, the block with palatalising showed the highest rate of food conversion. The block with garlic extract had an inhibitory effect on reinfection by gastrointestinal nematodes after 30 days.