Alfalfa hay in emu finisher diet: performance, carcass yield and gastrointestinal allometry

Objective. The results of the inclusion of alfalfa hay on emus diet were determined, as a plain trial to analyze the field practice of using it as a roughage source similar to other ratites diets. Materials and methods. The treatments consisted of two diets, without (diet 1) or with (diet 2) alfalfa hay inclusion. Twenty emus, with 38.4 weeks of mean age, were distributed in two treatments and housed in a semi-intensive system with ad libitum feed and water. The body weight was assessed weekly over 13 weeks. After 91 days of trial, the emus were slaughtered and the carcass yield and gastrointestinal allometry were measured. Results. Cumulative weight gain was lower (p<0.05) by intake diet 2 than diet 1, 2.12 and 2.08 kg, at 11 and 12 weeks after the start of the trial, respectively. Further, abdominal and visceral fat deposition in the emus fed with diet 2 was 0.77 and 0.63% lower (p<0.05), respectively. The inclusion of alfalfa hay increased gizzard and intestine relative weight (p<0.05) and intestine relative length (p<0.05), however, cecum allometry wasn't affected (p>0.05). Conclusions. Alfalfa hay can negatively compromise the growth and fat deposition of emus when it is added to the finisher feed, and alter the allometry of the gastrointestinal tract.