The objective of this study was to evaluate tissue composition of loin and leg and fatty acids profile of the meat of lambs in four finishing systems: (1) lambs weaned around 40 days of age and kept in ryegrass pastures until slaughter; (2) lambs kept with their dams in the same pasture until slaughter; (3) same treatment of (2), but daily supplemented with 1% of the body weight in creep feeding; (4) lambs weaned at 40 days of age and […]

Minerals, including trace-elements, and vitamins are currently introduced into the pig diet in order to obtain suitable performances for the modern pig genotype bred in confinement. Most of the mineral and vitamin contents of cereals and usual protein compounds are characterized by their poor and variable availability. Supplemental diets are then usually needed. This paper, based on literature data, reviews the pig requirement for minerals and vitamins in order to ensure economic and profitable performance. Recent research has focused on […]

The quantitative characteristics of the carcass, yield of cuts, tissue proportion, chemical composition and fatty acid profile of the Longissimus dorsi muscle of ¾ Boer + ¼ Saanen goats fed rations with linseed, sunflower and canola seeds were evaluated. Twenty-four not castrated male goats initially averaging 22.7 kg and 90 days were allotted to a completely randomized design and slaughtered at 30.9 kg of body weight and 61 days of feedlot. The rations were composed of oats hay, soybean meal, […]

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 physical and chemical carcasses composition of calves fed after weaning until slaughter with high moisture grains silage or dry ground grains of corn or sorghum was evaluated, for production of pink meat veal. Thirty Holstein calves were alloted to a complete randomized blocks experimental design with five blocks and six concentrate rations with similar contents of protein (18.5% CP) and energy (3.2 Mcal ME/kg DM), formulated with dry ground corn (GC), high moisture corn silage (HMCS), dry ground sorghum […]

The objective of this trial was to study the physical composition of carcass and the qualitative characteristics of the meat of 16 finishing young bulls, eight Aberdeen Angus (AA) and eight Hereford (HE), fed diets with two energy levels (lower: 3.07 Mcal/kg of digestible energy – 12% of concentrate; or higher: 3.18 Mcal/kg of digestible energy – 32% of concentrate). Animals were feedlot fed since 9 months of age and an average body weight of 220.31 kg and were slaughtered […]

The effect of adding dietary ractopamine on meat quality of dominant homozygote (HalNN) and heterozygote (HalNn) halothane animal genotypes was evaluated in this trial. During the experiment (21days), it was used 24 barrows and 12 gilts (half of each halothane genotype) averaging 72.6 kg initial BW. The experiment was analyzed as a randomized block with a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial arrangement (two halothane genotypes, two diets: control and with 10 ppm of ractopamine and two categories: barrows and […]

The objective of this study was to evaluate muscle composition and physical-chemical characteristics of 20 intact and castrated crossbred Ideal male lambs exposed to either a short photoperiod (SP) of 12 h or to a long photoperiod (LP) of 18 h. Animals were randomly assigned to four treatments (T) in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement with five repetitions as follows: intact lambs exposed to a SP; castrated lambs exposed to a SP; intact lambs exposed to a LP or […]

The objectives of this trial were to evaluate carcass characteristics and production costs of ½ Dorset Santa Inês lambs finished at two finishing systems. Forty-four weaned ½ Dorset Santa Inês lambs were distributed to one of the following two finishing systems: 1) feedlot lambs were fed concentrate (4% BW) containing 15.56% CP and 4.32 Mcal GE/kg DM or 2) lambs were on pasture and received a supplement (1.5% BW) containing 27.01% CP and 4.51 Mcal GE/kg DM. Concentrate and supplement […]

This is study aimed to compare growth performance, meat quality, and carcass yield of three broiler chicken strains: Cobb, Paraiso Pedrês and ISA Label. The experiment was analyzed according to a randomized design, with five replicates of 29 birds per treatment. Weight gain, feed intake, and feed conversion were evaluated weekly. Adjustments performed according to Gompertz model to describe the birds growth were based on mean weight gain. The birds growth rate was obtained by the Gompertz derivative model. When […]