This trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of the environmental temperature on performance, carcass composition and physiological parameters of swine from 15 to 30 kg. Thirty-six barrow (Landrace x Large White) averaging initial weight of 14.97 + 0.56 kg were assigned to a completely randomized experimental design with three treatments and six replicates of two animals. The experimental period lasted 23 days. The treatments were as follows: T1 animals on heat stress (35ºC) fed ad libitum; T2 animals on […]

Forty-eight (24 barrows and 24 females) Landrace x Large White pigs (averaging 22.69 kg of initial body weight) were assigned to four treatments to evaluate the effect of feeding sunflower cake (SC) on performance and carcass characteristics for swine in the growing and finishing phases. The following increasing dietary levels of sunflower cake (SC) were used: (0, 5, 10 and 15%). Daily weight gain (DWG), daily feed intake (DFI) and feed:gain ratio (FGR)in the growing I (20 to 50 kg […]

Fifty barrows from 29.97 ± 0.36 kg to 60.38 ± 0.49 kg were used to evaluate the requirement of digestible methionine + cystine. A completely randomized blocks design, with five digestible methionine + cystine levels (0.448; 0.490; 0.531; 0.573 and 0.614%), with five replicates and two animals per experimental unity, was used. The digestible methionine + cystine levels of the diet influenced in a quadratic way the average daily gain and the feed:gain being the level of digestible methionine + […]

The objective of this work was to evaluate four corn replacement levels (0, 33, 67 and 100%) by forage cactus meal on performance of feedlot growing lambs. Twenty crossbred lambs were allotted to a completely randomized block design with four treatments (replacement of corn by forage cactus meal) and five replications. Besides corn and/or forage cactus meal, the animals were fed Tifton hay (Cynodon dactylon), as forage, soybean meal, limestone and mineral salt. Weight gain and feed:gain ratio decreased and […]

Fifty hybrid gilts, with high genetic potential for lean gain and initial and final average weight of 30.0 ± 0.45 and 59.9 ± 2.53 kg, respectively, were used in an experiment to evaluate diet with different levels of lysine. An experimental design of randomized blocks, with five treatments, five replicates and two animals per experimental unit, was used. The treatments corresponded to a basal diet with 17.5% crude protein, supplemented with five levels of HCl-L-lysine, resulting in diets with 0.80, […]

Fifty barrows (30.10 ± 0.48 kg to 60.08 ± 0.49 kg live weight were assigned to a completely randomized blocks design, with five digestible methionine plus cystine levels (0.448, 0.490, 0.531, 0.573, and 0.615%), five replicates and two animals per experimental unit, to evaluate the requirement of digestible methionine plus cystine The digestible methionine and cystine levels of the diet influenced the average daily gain that increased in a linear way. However, the linear response plateau model was what best […]

Seven hundred and twenty and six hundred chicks, males and females, from 22 to 42 and from 43 to 53 days old, respectively, fed a basal diet (3100 and 3210 kcal ME/kg and 19.6 and 18.6% CP) deficient in sodium (0.017%), supplemented with NaCl, corresponding to the levels of .077, .137, .197, .257 and .317% of total sodium were used to determine the sodium requirements for broilers during the growing and final phases. A completely randomized design, in a 5×2 […]

To evaluate the body composition, and to identify measurable body characteristics capable to estimate the relative size of body components, 36 young bulls (12 Nellore, 12 ½ Holstein x ½ Zebu, and 12 ½ Caracu x ½ Cebu) were used. In each genetic group, six animals of each production phase were used: growing animals with initial weight of 225 kg and the finishing ones with initial weight of 330 kg. The animals were maintained in confinement regime to reach 310 […]

Ninety-six young beef males were allotted to a completely randomized design in a 4×3 factorial scheme, four genetic groups, Nellore (N), ½ Simmental ½ Nellore (SN), ½ Red Angus ½ Nellore (AN) and ½ Red Angus ¼ Simmental ¼ Nellore (ASN), and three sex conditions (SC), intact (I), castrated (C) and castrated plus Synovex S ® implant (CS). Males were castrated at six months of age, and feedlot started two months later, with the animals being fed with a 70% […]

In order to estimate genetic parameters for swine carcasses traits, data of dressing percentage (DP), carcass length by Brazilian method (CLBM) and American method (CLAM), average backfat thickness (ABT), backfat thickness at 6.5 cm from the dorsal line (P2), loin eye area (LEA), lean:fat ratio (LFR), ham yield (HY), lean, fat and lean cuts yields (LY, FY and LCY), fat weight:lean weight ratio (FLR), and lean tissue growth rate (LTGR) obtained from 711 swine of the Large White breed, were […]