It was aimed to evaluate in this work the effects of physical characteristics (density, solubility, average particle size and water holding capacity) on in situ effective degraded fraction of the dry matter of soybean meal, canola meal, peanut meal, and cottonseed meal. It was also evaluated the passage rate of solids using four Santa Ines castrated wethers cannulated in the rumen. Samples with 100 g of each protein meal marked with sodium dichromate were put in the rumen and kept […]

Twenty 11/16 Texel x 5/16 Ile de France crossbred lambs were slaughtered at different body weights to evaluate the growth of their non-carcass components. Animals were weaned at 42 days of age (15.9 ± 2.1 kg of body weight), housed in individual stalls, and fed ad libitum. After ten days of an experimental adaptation period, 5 lambs were slaughtered. The remaining lambs were randomly assigned to one of three following slaughter weights: 25, 30 or 35 kg of body weight […]

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of replacing corn by dried citrus pulp on chemical composition and fatty acids profile in longissimus dorsi muscle of thirty-two Santa Ines lambs, slaughtered at average weight of 33 kg at 141 days of age. Lambs were fed a 90% concentrate (ground corn and/or dried citrus pulp, soybean meal and minerals) and 10% coastcross hay (Cynodon spp) diet. Dried citrus pulp was added at 23.7, 46.1 and 68.4% of dry […]

It was evaluated the performance and the carcass characteristics of 36 non-castrated male lambs, Santa Inês purebreed and crossbreeds from Dorper × Santa Inês and Texel × Santa Inês, managed in three different systems (intensive, semi-intensive and extensive), slaughtered at 38.41 ± 1.24 kg. It was observed the highest weight gain for lambs reared in intensive system, which also showed the greatest carcass yield. The management systems did not influence carcass measures of animals in intensive system much because of […]

The objective of this paper was to study subcutaneous fat thickness, loin eye area, length and maximum depth measurements of the longissimus dorsi muscle between the 13th rib and the 1st lumbar vertebra determined by ultrasound examination and on the carcass of discard ewes slaughtered in different physiological stages, besides correlation and determination coefficients among measurements evaluated. It was used 21 Santa Ines ewes distributed into the following treatments: EL = ewes that remained in lactation for 60 days with […]

The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of bypass fat on milk production and composition in Bergamasca ewes. It was used 77 ewes which were distributed by parity and age orders in two groups: control diet (C): corn silage and concentrate; and bypass fat diet (GP): corn silage + concentrated + bypass fat (35 g/ewe/day) added in the concentrate. Diets were isoenergetic and isonitrogenous with 70% of total digestible nutrients and 16% of crude protein on dry […]

Thirty-two non castrated Ile de France lambs fed corn silage or sugar-cane based diets with two roughage:concentrate ratios (60:40 or 40:60) were used. The animals were kept individually confined with control of the supplied food and leftovers, weekly weighted for determination of the daily weight gain and food conversion. Simultaneously, it was carried out digestibility and metabolism trials to determine the nutrient intake and digestibility and nitrogen balance of the experiment diets. The weight gain (294.6 g/day) was higher for […]

The effects of three diets and two feeding managements were assessed on feedlot lamb performance and carcass. Thirty six lambs with initial 18.7 ± 2.4 kg weight were distributed in a randomized complete block design in a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement and were fed a free-lipid diet, and a sunflower grains-added diet or a protected fat-added diet. Six lambs on each diet were submitted to feeding restriction management and later compensatory gain, while the other half was fed ad […]

This study was performed with the objective of assessing the effects of feed and genotype on the quantitative characteristics of carcasses of lambs finished in a feedlot and estimate gross margins. Eighteen lambs of each genotype were used: Morada Nova, Santa Inês and cross-breed Dorper × Santa Inês. Feeds with low and high energetic levels consisted of 2.5 Mcal ME/kg DM and 2.94 Mcal ME/kg DM, respectively. A randomized complete design was used, with a 3 × 2 factorial scheme. […]

The objective was to determine in vivo and carcass measurements of culled ewes slaughtered at different physiological stages and the possible correlations between the objective measurements (in vivo and in the carcass) and the body weight at slaughter and cold carcass weight. Twenty-one Santa Inês ewes were used, placed in the following treatments: EL = ewes which remained in lactation for 60 days with their respective lambs and slaughtered one day after weaning the lambs; EWL = ewes which remained […]