O EFEITO DA SUPLEMENTAÇÃO COM ZINCO ORGÂNICO NO GANHO DE PESO DE BORREGAS TEXEL EM CRESCIMENTO

The animal protein demand and the ease of creating an activity make the sheep in evidence, and\udimprove animal performance increasing need. The objective of this study was to evaluate the\udeffect of organic zinc supplementation on the performance of Texel lambs. Were randomly\udselected, 46 lambs Texel, eight months old, weighing on average 41 kg live weight . The animals\udwere divided into two experimental groups (23 animals/ group): treated group (GZn)\udsupplemented with mineral mixture and addition of organic Zn and control group (Gc)\udsupplemented only with mineral mixture. The groups were in two paddocks of four ha of\udBrachiaria brizantha, separated, and were rotated monthly, the Gc received 500g of mineral\udmixture in sheep pen in the GZn addition to receiving 500g of mineral mixture was supplemented\udwith 0.5g/ animal/day organic Zn by the oral route during the experimental period of 180 days.\udThe consumption of the mineral mixture was 22 g/ animal/ day in both groups, being within the \ud24\udColloquium Agrariae, v. 11, n.1, Jan-Jun. 2015, p.23-32. DOI: 10.5747/ca.2015.v11.n1.a115\udexpected consumption from 10 to 28 g/ animal/ day. The average weight gain during the\udevaluation period was higher in animals supplemented with organic Zn, 38.3 g/ day in GZn and 8.6\udg/ day in Gc, the difference being statistically significant (p ≤ 0,05). The effect of supplementation\udwith organic zinc in Texel lambs performance was positive, with an increase in average daily\udweight gain in the grazing animals