The objective of this work was to obtain equations to estimate hot carcass weight (PCQ) and dressing percentage (RC) from ultrasound measurements (US) of 48 young bulls of the Brangus and Nellore breeds, fed diets with 20, 40, 60 or 80% of concentrate. Ultrasonic measurements made with a PieMedical Scanner 200 Vet equipment, with linear array transducer of 178 mm coupled with standoff guide, were ribeye area (AOLU), backfat thickness (EGSU) between 12ª and 13ª ribs and the fat thickness […]

Four effects related to the establishment of breeding season in production systems were analysed using a bioeconomic simulation model arise from implantation of breeding season in production systems. The effects were: decrease calf’s mortality rate (10 to 4%) (effect A); reduction of bulls:cows relation from 1:25 to 1:33 (effect B); increase reproduction of cows (65 to 75%) (effect C); and reduction of herdsman number (effect D). With these effects were five scenery. The rate increase of present net value and […]

Live weight at the beginning of the finishing period (IFW), average daily gain (ADG), slaughter weight (SW), cold carcass weight (CCW), carcass dressing percentage (DP), subcutaneous fat thickness (SFT) and slaughter age in days (SA) of 32 castrated males Braford, previously weaned at 100 (EW) or 180 days (CW) and slaughtered at 13-14 months old, were evaluated. From CW (03/06/01) until the beginning of finishing period (08/09/01), when passed to an improved pasture of ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum L.), the calves […]

Fifteen years of data from a flock of Bergamasca sheep weighed every two weeks was analyzed using non-linear methods to determine parameters of three growth curves (Brody , Richards and Logistic). The curve parameters were analyzed using Statistical Analysis System (SAS) procedures GLM and CORR to determine factors which influenced them and correlations between the parameters and weights at determined ages. Fixed effects in the model included lambing number, sex of lamb, type of birth and month and age of […]

Beef tenderness is influenced by the activity of the calpain proteolytic system during postmortem aging. Calcium propionate increases blood calcium concentration enough to active these calcium-dependent proteases, and improve beef tenderness The objectives were to evaluate calcium propionate orally supply in quali-quantitative carcass characteristics of beef cattle. In this study, 24 steers (3/4 Simenthal+1/4Nellore) received 0 or 630 g calcium propionate orally, 12 hours before slaughter. After slaughter, tenderness (shear force), cooking losses (1, 8 and 15 days of aging […]

The aim of this work was to evaluate the weight gain of growing and finishing steers, the life weight gain per hectare, and the forage quality in different grass production systems in the winter and summer. In the winter, the black oat pasture (BOP) and star grass (SGA) production systems were evaluated. In the summer, the millet (MIL), Mombaça (MOM), and star grass (SGA) production systems were evaluated and the effect of the production systems used in the winter on […]

The aim of the analysis systems for rearing of beef heifers in black oats (Avena strigosa Schreb) and annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam) pasture was to determine animal performance and economic relationships. Data were analyzed from four grazing trials performed at the Federal University of Santa Maria, RS. Production costs, animal production and gross margin were evaluated. The trials were conducted from 1998 to 2001. The feeding systems were YEAR 1: STP- animal supplementation during entire pasture cycle; SAS – […]

The aim of this experiment was to determine the dry matter content, pH and the volatilized ammonia from the poultry litter treated or not with different additives. Four hundred and forty birds were used, in randomized block design, with five treatments (1 – new litter; 2 – reused litter (RL); 3 – RL treated with aluminum sulfate; 4 – RL treated with gypsum and 5 – RL treated with hydrated lime) and four replicates. The samples of the litter were […]

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the halothane genotypes (heterozygous and dominant homozygous) and intensive rearing systems (indoor, wood shavings bedding and outdoor) on growth performance, carcass and meat yield. Ninety six castrated male pigs were used for the trial. Identification of the halothane genotype was determined in blood samples using the DNA-test, based on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for amplification of the critical region of the ryanodine receptor and subsequent restriction of the […]

This research was carried out to evaluate the performance of dairy heifers fed with broiler litter (BL) and ruminal microbiota supplement (RMS). Twenty heifers, crossbred Holstein x zebu, with average weight and age of 276 kg and 13,8 months, respectively, were used. The animals were randomly allotted to a 2×2 factorial scheme: two levels of BL (15 and 30% in the diet dry matter) and RMS (0 and 10 g/heifer/day), in a completely randomized design, with five replications. The feed […]