The objective of this work was to verify the usefullness of ultrasound to estimate the carcass backfat thickness (EGSC) at slaughter. Twenty four Brangus and 24 Nelore, intact males, were fed with diets containing 20, 40, 60 or 80% of concentrate. Ribeye area (AOLU) and backfat thickness (EGSU) between 12ª and 13ª ribs and the fat thickness over Biceps femoris muscle (EGPU) were collected with a PieMedical Scanner 200 Vet equipment, with linear array transducer of 178 mm coupled with […]

Three wethers averaging 50 kg LW, fitted with four catheters, in the mesenteric vein, mesenteric artery, portal vein and hepatic vein, were used to evaluate nutrient intake and glucose, a-amino nitrogen, ammonia and urea splanchnic fluxes in sheep fed with different protein sources. Statistical design was a 3×3 Latin square. Treatments consisted of three different protein sources utilization: soybean meal, hydrolyzed feather meal and corn gluten meal. There were no treatment effects over intake of dry matter (DM), organic matter […]

One hundred and tree male and female lambs, pure Santa Inês (SS) and crosses between Santa Inês and Texel (TS), Ile de France (FS) and Bergamacia (BS), were used. They were confined in individual cages. The lambs were slaughtered at four weights: 15.0, 25.0, 35.0 and 45.0 kg live weight. After slaughter and cooling of the carcasses, the following cuts were made: neck (PP), rib/flank (PCF), rack (PC), loin (PL), shoulder (PPA) and leg (PPE), these last two without the […]

Twelve 7/8 Holstein-Zebu steers were used in three 4 x 4 latin square design, consisted of three body weight groups (250, 350 e 450 kg), individualy housed in covered pens, during 60 days (four periods of 15 days). Each group of four animals were fed during four periods, with “Napier” grass (Pennisetum purpureum) and supplements constituted of four types of poultry litter (wood shavings, chopped corn cobs, coffee hulls and chopped and dry elephant grass “Cameroon”), urea and concentrate based […]

Twelve purebred and crossbred Holstein cows were allotted to three 4 x 4 Latin Squares to evaluate the intake, apparent digestibility of nutrients, milk production and composition, ruminal pH and ammonia. The experimental diets were based on corn silage (CS) (AG 1051) with forage:concentrate ratio (F:C) of 60:40, in dry matter (DM) basis, or based on sugar cane (SC) (RB 855536) with F:C of 60:40 with .35 or 1% of urea+ammonium sulfate (AS) mixture or F:C of 50:50 with 1% […]

The experiment was developed to evaluate the effect of the replacement of corn grain by dehydrated citrus pulp pellets on the performance and carcass characteristics of Santa Gertrudis young bulls fed high concentrate diets. Twenty-eight bulls, with average age of nine months and an initial weight of 277 kg, were kept in individual pens and fed during 92 days, after 21 days of adaptation. The animals were fed a diet with 20% of the dry matter as corn silage, with […]

This experiment had as objective to evaluate protein fermentation of three nitrogen sources (trypticase, soybean meal and fish meal), with or without monensin or propolis extract addition. Incubations were done by using 7.2 mL of McDougall buffer, 2.0 mL of inocula, 0.2 mL of ethanolic solution with or without monensin or propolis and 84.4, 150 or 112.5 mg/10 mL of trypticase, soybean meal and fish meal, respectively, in a 3×3 factorial arranjement. The flasks were incubated anaerobically at 39ºC in […]

The objective of this work was to evaluate the performance and carcass characteristics of cattle fed high concentrate diets containing 15, 21 or 27% of sugarcane bagasse in the dry matter. Twenty-four Nellore steers with 279 kg of shrunk body weight and 24 months of age, two per pen, were fed for 98 days. No significant effects were observed for average daily gain (mean =1.461 kg) and feed efficiency among the treatments. It was observed a linear effect between dry […]

The objective of this work was to determine the fractions and rates of degradation of the carbohydrates for sugar cane, with different cycles of production (early and intermediate), in three cut times (426, 487 and 549 days). The total carbohydrates (TC), non-fibrous carbohydrates (NFC), fractions potentially digestible (B2) and indigestible (C) of the neutral detergent fiber (NDF), corrected for ashes and protein (NDFcp), were obtained. The kinetic parameters of NFC and fraction B2 were obtained from the technique of in […]

Selenium and vitamin E are important antioxidants for cells and tissues protection acting directly as a support for the udder health. This experiment was designed to evaluate the influence of prepartum selenium and vitamin E supplementation on milk somatic cell counts of Holstein cows. Eighty four animals were allocated into four treatments: control; supplementation with 5 mg Se/day; supplementation with 1000 UI vitamin E/day and supplementation with 5 mg Se/day + 1000 UI vitamin E/day. The supplementation started thirty days […]