The intake, digestibility, ruminal pH and ammonia concentrations and passage rate were evaluated in steers fed corn silage (CS) and Tifton 85 bermudagrass hay (T85H)-based diets, at different forage proportions. Four rumen fistulated steers with 523 kg of live weight were used in a 4×4 latin square design, and fed diets containing 60:40 forage:concentrate proportions in dry matter basis. The forage portion consisted of: 100 T85H:0 CS; 67 T85H:33 CS; 33 T85H:67 CS and 0 T85H:100 CS. The dry matter […]

The experiment was conduced to evaluate the effects of corn replacement for forage cactus on the performance of crossbreed lactating cows and nutrient digestibility. Eight cows were assigned a two latin square design in a factorial 2 x 2 arrangement (two forage cactus cultivars, with or without corn).There was not interaction between forage cactus and corn and the effect of both were analyzed in an isolated way. The intake of dry matter, organic matter, acid detergent fiber, crude protein, ether […]

The experiment was performed to determine the supplements effects in the animal performance of forty crossbred Limousin-Nelore young bulls, aging 17 months and 367 kg average live weight, in Brachiaria decumbens postponed pasture, and during the dry season. The animals were distributed in five treatments: T1, control, the animals received only mineral complex; and the others were constituted by 1.49% of mineral complex, 1.99% of urea, and cracked corn, soybean meal and wheat bran in different percentages. The treatments had […]

Six castrated steers fistulated in the rumen and abomasum were randomly assigned to two 3 x3 Latin squares (three animals, three intake levels [1.5 supply, 2.0 and 2.5% LW] and three periods) to compare the collection techniques for abomasal and omasal digesta in order to determine the flow as well as to evaluate the effects of the three offer levels (1.5; 2.0 and 2.5% live weight) on both intakes and total and partial apparent digestibilities of DM, OM, CP, EE […]

Effects of feeding textured soy protein (TSP), in liquid form throught esophageal groove, or solid form throught concentrate meal, were studied in a 4 x 4 Latin-square change-over design, using four Holstein steers fitted with ruminal cannulas, averaging 100 kg live weight at the beginning of trial. Treatments consisted of increasing TSP levels in liquid form (0, 33, 66 and 100%) offered through nipple-pail, and decreasing levels in concentrate meal to keep the same amout of nitrogen in all diets. […]

The coeficients of apparent digestibility of dry matter (ADDM), organic matter (ADOM), crude protein (ADCP), ether extract (ADEE), total carboidrates (ADTCHO), nonfiber carboidrates (ADNFC), neutral (ADNDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADADF), were determined to evaluate the effect of diferents inclusions of broiler litter (0, 10, 20 and 30% in dry matter basis), with 45% forage cactus associaded to sugar cane bagasse, urea and cottonsead meal, using the method of indigestible acid detergent fiber as intern indicator to estimate fecal dry […]

Thirty-six young bulls (12 Nellore, 12 ½ crossbred Holstein x Nellore, and 12 crossbred ½ Caracu x Nellore) were used to evaluate weight gain, feed conversion, ingestion capacity and apparent digestibility of various nutrients. We use growing and finishing animals. The growing animals had initial weight of 205 kg, and the finishing ones, initial weight of 310 kg. The animals were fedlot to reach the weight of 310 to 330 kg for the growing animals and 450 to 480 kg […]

The objective of this study was to evaluate the meat centesimal composition of Santa Ines pure breed and Santa Ines vs Texel crossbreed lambs, slaughtered at different body weights. Thirteen males and fourteen females from both breeds were selected. The muscle biceps femoris was used to determine water, crude protein, crude extract and minerals contents. The experiment was arranged randomly, with 16 traits in a 2x2x4 factorial scheme with two genetic groups, two genders (14 males and 13 females in […]

The present work aimed to determine the nitrogen and carbohydrates fractions and to estimate the respective digestion rates for corn silage, Tifton-85 bermudagrass hay, elephantgrass silage and soybean meal. The contents of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), ash, total carbohydrates (TC), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), NDF corrected for ash and protein (NDFcp), indigestible NDF (INDF), non-protein nitrogen compounds (NPN) and B1+B2, B3 and C nitrogen fractions, nonfiber carbohydrates and B2 and C carbohydrates fractions were determined. […]

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 […]