ABSTRACT We evaluated the maternal behavior, physiology, and reproductive performance of both Damin (Min-pig × Large White) and Large White gilts to identify the advantages hybrid sows offer with regard to stress relieve and improvement of the welfare level of sows during late lactation. First-parity Damin gilts (n = 40) and first-parity Large White gilts (n = 40) were farrowed in individual pens. Video surveillance was used to monitor the occurrence of lateral recumbency and compare it to other postures, […]

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of the following six body weight (BW) estimation methods in Campolina (CAM) horses: A – weight tape placed at three different positions on the animal’s thorax; B – Crevat and Quetelet’s formula; C – Hall’s formula; D – Hintz and Griffiths’s table; E – Santos’s table; and F – Cintra’s formula. A total of 380 CAM horses were separated according to sex, age class, and gestational stage and evaluated. […]

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to quantify linear and angular morphological measurements of male and female horses participating in the Freio de Ouro competition. This study represents the first scientific evaluation of the biometrics of the Criollo breed, providing essential information for the evaluation of the development of the breed and supporting objective selection. We examined linear and angular measurements of 634 Criollo horses participating in the Freio de Ouro competition in 2011 and 2012, including height, chest […]

In the present study, we investigated behavioural responses and determined parameters of heart rate variability (HRV) to elucidate a relative activation of autonomic nervous system (ANS) during baseline (10 min) and in response to potentially stressful situations (10 min) in two pig breeds and sexes. Gilts (n = 21) and barrows (n = 9) of the Landrace × Yorkshire (LY; n = 15) and Landrace/Yorkshire × Landrace/Duroc (LYLD; n = 15) breeds were subjected to a novel object test (NOT) […]

The main objective of this study was to assess the effect of photoperiod on sexual activity of three breeds of boars: Swedish Landrace (n=34), Large White (n=38), and Duroc (n=32). Boar sexual activity was analysed based on the libido index and intensity of ejaculation. The libido index was calculated as the ratio between the duration of ejaculation and time of preparation until ejaculation. The intensity of ejaculation was the volume of ejaculate (mL) secreted in the unit of time (min). […]

This study was carried out with the objective of evaluating the influence of breed groups and sexual conditional on carcass traits of young goats raised in feedlot. It was used 91 animals, 52 males and 39 females, belonging to five breed groups: Alpine, ½Boer + ½Alpine, ½Nubian + ½Alpine, ¾Boer + ¼Alpine and ½ Anglo-Nubian + ¼Boer + ¼Alpine. On the slaughter day, the shrunk weight was measured after 24 hours of solid fasting. Biometric and carcass measures were objectively […]

Studies in genetics and breeding of sheep in Brazil have increased significantly in recent years. These involve research in characterization, breeding and crossing sheep using new technologies available incorporating both classical quantitative and molecular genetics. Improvements in statistical techniques, computational resources as well as analysis of DNA and gaps in present knowledge and opportunities for possible research are pointed out. There is a need for greater interaction between various groups working in the country as well as interactions with other […]

This study aimed to evaluate the chemical quality and fat profile of meat from crossbred goats (native and exotic) reared under feedlot systems. Thirty-two entire male goats were divided in equal number into four racial groups: eight pure Boer breed, eight ¾ Boer + ¼ SPRD crossbred, eight ½ Boer + ½ SPRD crossbred and eight ½ Anglo Nubian + ½ SPRD crossbred. All goats were reared under feedlot system and slaughtered at the average age and live weight of […]

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of sex and genotype (breed) on the composition and fatty acid profile of the semimembranosus (SM) muscle of feedlot sheep. Four Santa Inês (SI) males, four SI females, and four ½ Santa Inês x ½ Dorper (SI-D) males were used in this trial. Neither breed nor sex significantly affected the chemical composition of meat. However, the meat contents of phosphorus and calcium were both significantly changed by breed and sex. […]

Records of 776 Nellore cows from a herd raised at São Paulo State, Brazil, were analyzed to determine the cow mature weight and to estimate their genetic and phenotypic parameters. A previous analysis showed that month and season of birth were not important sources of variation for the cow mature weight. This trait was influenced most by the month when the cows were weighted (April or July) and by the age of the cow (4 to 14 years, at the […]