LAUSR

ABSTRACT The objectives in this experiment were to compare the effects of adding babassu oil or buriti oil in the diet of sheep on physiological response, feeding behaviour and water intake. Twenty-one lambs (24.6 ± 3.8 kg BW, mean ± SD) were distributed in an unbalanced randomized block design, using three diets: (1) basal diet without added oil (Control, CON); (2) 4% FA.kg−1 DM of babassu oil (BAO) and (3) 4% FA.kg−1 DM of buriti oil (BUO), containing 30% roughage. The addition of vegetable oil to the diet did not change the body temperature and rectal temperature; however, BAO decreased (P < 0.05) the respiratory rate. Additionally, BAO decreased (P < 0.05) dry matter (DM) intake, but did not affect: feeding, rumination and idle activities. The diets supplemented with vegetable oils reduced the efficiency of rumination of DM and neutral detergent fibre (NDF), the total water ingested, water intake per kg of DM and total water intake per kg of DM intake. Therefore, diets supplemented with vegetable oil modified the rumination efficiency and decreased the water intake of lambs in feedlots, especially with the addition of BAO with higher saturated fatty acids; it reduced the DM intake and respiratory rate.