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 […]

The study was carried out in an experimental area of 5.41 ha, split in four paddocks of similar size. The performance of Corriedale breed animals at the end of pregnancy and at the beginning of lactation were evaluated from July 3 to November 18, 2000 under grazing in three phenological stages of annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.): vegetative (E1), pre-flowering (E2) and flowering (E3). The animals were maintained in a continuous grazing, with variable stocking rates aiming at maintaining an […]

Animal production and and ruminal parameters were analyzed to evaluate the substitution of corn by pearl millet. Four lactating cannulated Holstein cows were used in a incomplete 5X4 Latin Square design. Cows were fed a 48.6% corn silage diet (dry matter basis). Treatments consisted of substitution of corn stacrh by pearl millet in five different proportions: 100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75 and 0:100. All grain substitutions were estimated in the starch content basis. There was no effect of grain source on […]

Sixteen Santa Inês sheep were randomly allotted to four treatments (T0 = 81% tifton hay (TH) and 19% concentrate (soybean meal and corn); T27 = 27% egeria hay (EH), 54% TH and 19% concentrate; T81 = 81% EH and 19% concentrate) to evaluate the effect of Egeria hay inclusion in the diet on voluntary intake, weight gain and feed efficiency. Voluntary intake reduced and body weight gain was not affected by EH inclusion. During the experimental period, weight gain was […]

The objective this work was to evaluate the effect of protein supplements with three degradability levels (high-70%, medium-50% and low-30%) at three levels (0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 kg/day) on the ruminal pH, N-NH3 and DM, CP, NDF degradability of forage fed steers grazing Brachiaria brizantha cv. Maradu, during the dry season. The experiment design was a randomized complete block with three replications (grazing periods) and the supplement treatments were arranged in a factorial 3×3. Ten rumen-fistuled steers with 354 kg […]

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of “catingueira” hay (CH) addition on nutritional balance by sheep. Fifteen “Morada Nova” males castrated sheep were used in a complete randomized design with three treatments (0, 50 and 100% CH addition) and five replications. The inclusion of CH did not influence the apparent nitrogen balance. The energy retained as percentage of the ingested energy was not affected by treatment, however, the energy retained as percentage of the digested energy […]

This work was carried out at the field to evaluate the grazing sheep behavior conducted in annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) on vegetative, pre-flowering and flowering stages. Ewes at the end of pregnancy and at the beginning of lactation maintained in a 1.3 ha paddock were evaluated in terms of grazing time, bite rate, bite size, leaf:stem ratio of ingested pasture estimated by hand-plucking method. Daily grazing time/h of 9.65, 10.97 and 10.68, bite rates/min of 52.65, 51.93 and 40.63 […]

The degradation kinetics, effective degradability (ED) of dry matter (DM), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and crude protein (CP) with or without correction for microbial protein were evaluated from black oat, Mombaça, star grass and millet, taken from pastures at a continuous grazing. The forage was collected from different points of pasture every 14 days for black oat and every 28 days for the other grasses. The feeds were incubated in the rumen using nylon bag at different times (0, 6, […]

The experiment was carried to study three levels (0, 50 e 100%) of high moisture corn silage replacing dry corn grain in rations of lambs fed in creep feeding. Twenty four Suffolk lambs were evaluated to live weight (LW) gain and carcasses dressing-outs percentage. It was performed an economical analysis too. Rations in creep feeding were fed ad libitum, and rests were weighed to obtain mean intake by treatment. When lambs reached 28 kg LW, lambs were submitted to 16 […]