The present work was carried out to evaluate the effect of diets with different protein sources of ruminal degradability and corn silage prepared with or without the inoculant PIONEER 1174 on animal performance. A factorial experiment was conducted, where the protein sources (meat and bone meal, urea and a mixture of both [50:50]) were combined with two types of silage, composing six treatments. Thirty six 3.5 years old Santa Gertrudis steers were randomly assigned to the treatments. There were no […]

The objectives of the present work were to estimate the microbial protein production using the total purine derivatives (PD) excretion, to compare the PD and the urea excretions, obtained from spot urine collection with that observed in the 24 hours collection and to evaluate the plasma and milk N-urea and urea urinary excretion. Sixteen Holstein lactating cows were assigned to four 4X4 Latin Square with 3-wk periods in accordance with the lactation period. The four experimental isoproteic diets were formulated […]

The experiment was conducted to evaluate the changes on the nitrogen compounds of the Brachiaria decumbens Stapf, jaraguá (Hyparrhenia rufa Ness Stapf) grasses hay, untreated, treated with urea (5.4% DM), urea plus lab-lab (UL-5.4% DM plus Lablab purpureus L. Sweet, cv. Highworth-3.0% DM) and anhydrous ammonia (NH3 – 3.0% DM). The chemical treatment with urea or NH3 increased the total N, neutral detergent insoluble N 9NDIN), acid detergent insoluble N (ADIN), non nitrogen protein (NNP), and the ammonical nitrogen (AN) […]

The experiment was conducted to evaluate the changes on the chemical composition and the in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) of the Brachiaria decumbens Stapf, jaraguá (Hyparrhenia rufa Ness Stapf) hays, untreated, treated with urea (5.4% DM), urea (UL-5.4% DM) and lab lab (Lablab purpureus L. Sweet, cv. Highworth-3.0% DM); and anhydrous ammonia (NH3 3.0% DM). The chemical treatment increased the pH and the in vitro digestibility of the hays Ammoniation did not affect ADF and cellulose contents. The NDF, […]

The experiment was conducted to evaluate the changes on the chemical composition and in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) of the Brachiaria decumbens Stapf, Brachiaria brizantha (Hochst ex. A. Rich) Stapf, jaragua (Hyparrhenia rufa Ness Stapf) hays, harvested following the seed ripening stage and treated with anhydrous ammonia (3.0% DM) or urea (5.4% DM). The data showed that anhydrous ammonia and urea decreased NDF and hemicellulose contents with the same efficiency. The treatments did not change ADF, cellulose, and lignin […]

This work was carried out to evaluate the effect of cottonseed meal, urea or starea supplementation to corn silage and ground corn based diets by In vitro disappearance of dry matter, nitrogen and acid detergent fiber method. The treatment with urea presented better results than the other treatments in all studied characteristics, and the treatments with cottonseed meal or starea presented similar results. The observed In vitro disappearance values were: 70.5, 69.8 and 72.7% for dry matter, 61.6, 63.1 and […]

This research was conducted to evaluate the energy and the fiber digestibility of diets containing urea, starea and cottonseed meal as nitrogen sources and corn silage as forage. Twenty-four lambs averaging 11 months old and initial 31 kg LW and total feces collection method were used. Dry matter intake was 64.1, 68.8 and 71.4 g /kg PV.75 /day and the energy, NDF and CF digestibilities were 63.0, 67.7 and 64.4%, 39.6, 55.7 and 50.0%, 47.0, 49.3 and 53.4%, for the […]

The objective of this experimental work was to evaluate the influence of different levels of sorghum grain, as a source of starch, on the plasma parameters of sheep fed elephant grass hay (Pennisetum purpureum Schum). Sorghum grain was included in the diet at four levels: 0, 15, 30 e 45%. Twelve castrated male sheep were assigned to four treatments with three replicates. Six samples of blood per animal were collected just before the morning feeding (zero hour) and after 1, […]

An experiment was conducted to study the effects of allowance of ammoniated rice straw on the voluntary intake (VI) and digestibility of dry matter (DMD), and on the intake, excretion, digestibility and N balance. Fifteen adult sheep, males, castrated, with average weight of 63.8 kg, individually kept in metabolic cages, were used. The levels of straw fed to the animals were: 1.5; 3.0; 4.5; 6.0 and 7.5% of live weight. A supplement (200 g/animal/day of corn) was used to supply […]

The work was carried out to evaluate the plasma N-urea concentration (NUP), the urea fractional excretion (UFE) and the creatinine (CE) and urea (EU) excretions for several experimental conditions; to establish the relation among NUP, the urea fractional excretion and the urea excretion with the dietary crude protein (CP) and NDF percentage; and to evaluate the urinary endogenous losses, by means of the creatinine excretion determination. In the experiments I and II, diets with 25.0, 37.5, 50.0, 62.5, and 75.0% […]