Farinha de barata de Madagascar (Gromphadorhina portentosa) em dietas para calopsitas (Nymphicus hollandicus) mantidas em cativeiro

Abstract

The objective of this work was to evaluate the use of madagascar cockroach meal (Gromphadorhina portentosa) in the feeding of calopsitas (Nymphicus hollandicus) in captivity and its influence on the reproductive characteristics and the growth and development of pups. Two experiments were performed. In the first experiment twelve couples were used during an experimental period of 130 days, divided in four phases: posture, incubation, rearing of the pups until 30 days of age and return to the new posture. The couples were divided into two groups, one control, which received a commercial feed for psittacids + a mixture of seeds, and the test group that received the same diet as the control group, but added the madagascar cockroach meal in the ratio of 14g of feed for 1g of cockroach meal. After hatching, the pups remained with the parents until the 30 days of life, when they were transferred to another room and accompanied until the 90th day of life. In the second experiment, 28 pups were used during the experimental period of 90 days, divided in two phases: rearing pups up to 30 days and rearing pups from 31 to 90 days. The pups received the same diet from their parents' cage throughout the experimental period. The body development of the birds was evaluated every three days from the first to the 30th day of age and every 15 days from the 31st to the 90th day of age. The inclusion of cockroach meal did not influence the consumption of commercial and seed rations during the evaluated reproductive phases of the couples (P> 0.05), with the exception of feed consumption in the return to reproductive phase, however, the cholesterol content in the yolk increased (P <0.05), the width of eggs, shape index and the number of viable pups with 1 day of life. There was no influence (P> 0.05) on the percentage of hatching, on the contents of most of the fatty acids present in the yolk and on the survival rate of the pups at 30 and 90 days of age. The cockroach meal did not influence (P> 0.05) the survival rate, weight, total length and length of the beak, wing and tail of the animals, however, increased the consumption of seeds from the 31st to the 90th day of age. It is concluded that the inclusion of madagascar cockroach meal (Gromphadorhina portentosa) in the diet improves the reproductive characteristics of Nymphicus hollandicus, and in the diet of the pups did not cause damage to the growth and development of this species in captivity and can be used as an alternative source of protein for this species to replace commercial feed by up 6.6%.