Intake, digestibility, nitrogen balance and performance in lamb fed spineless cactus silage associated with forages adapted to the semiarid environment Spineless cactus silages in diets for lambs

•Spineless cactus silage provide benefit inherent to the maintenance of water content.•The use of spineless cactus silage must be associated with a source of fiber.•Performance of sheep fed spineless cactus silage associated with tropical forages was investigated.•Roughage based on spineless cactus allowed gains above 200 g/day. The study aimed to evaluate the intake, apparent digestibility, nitrogen balance and productive performance in lamb fed spineless cactus silage associated with forages adapted to the semiarid environment. Forty intact crossbred lambs, with an average body weight of 22.65 ± 1.01 kg, were distributed in a completely randomised design with five treatments (diets based on: spineless cactus silage (SCS), spineless cactus + buffelgrass silage (SCBS), spineless cactus + gliricidia silage (SCGS), spineless cactus + pornunça silage (SCPS) and corn silage (CS; witness) and eight animals per treatment. Intake, apparent nutrient digestibility, nitrogen balance, and performance of animals were evaluated. The SCGS diet showed higher intake of dry matter and organic matter (P