This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of microbially inoculated alfafa silage on total digestibility in wethers. Twelve wethers were randomly assigned to two treatments: alfalfa haylage (35.7% DM and 19.6% CP, on average) control or microbially inoculated with Silobac product (Lactobacillus plantarum and Pediococcus pentosaceus). The experimental period extended for twenty-one days, the last five used for feces and urine collection. The inoculation increased total digestibility of DM (inoculated = 62.5% vs. control = 59.5%), NFE (70.9% vs. […]

Sunflower (20.0% DM and 10.0% CP) was ensiled in 16 plastic experimental silos, forming four treatments: control, Sil-All (S. faecium, P. acidilactici, L. plantarum, amylase, hemicellulase, and cellulase), Silobac (L. plantarum, S. faecium, and Lactobacillus sp.), and Pioneer 1174 (S. faecium and L. plantarum). Silos were opened 125 days after ensiling and sampled to proceed chemical analyses. Pioneer increased soluble carbohydrates, ethylic alcohol concentration, and buffering capacity. This inoculant decreased pH, ammonia, and acetic acid concentration compared to control. Pioneer […]

The objectives of the present study were to characterize and determine the parameters estimative of kinetics of carbohydrate degradation of alfalfa hay, elephant grass, tifton 85 hay, and corn silage, in different ratios of roughage:concetrate, using both in situ and in vitro technique. Five non pregnant non lactating goats, rumen cannulated, and averaging 58 kg were used during the experimental periods. A modified McDougall buffer was used for the in vitro assay to adjust pH to the values observed in […]

The experiment was carried out with 20 intact Holstein male calves, 75 days old, with mean live weight of 76 kg, submitted to the same nursing system before starting the experiment. The objective was to evaluate the relative size of internal organs and viscera of these animals fed diets containing 45, 60, 75 and 90% of concentrate. Diets were composed of coastcross hay, ground corn grain, soybean meal and mineral mixture. The experimental design was a randomized blocks, with four […]

This research was carried out, using 15 dairy cows (Holstein x Gyr) full fed isoproteic diets with 60% silage and 40% concentrate in the dry matter (DM) basis and 0, 0.7, 1.4, and 2.1% urea correspondent to 2.08, 4.01, 5.76, and 8.07% of crude protein levels in the form of non protein nitrogen compounds (NNP), with the objectives to a non invasive methodology, to estimate the microbial protein production, using the total excretion of purine derivatives (PD); to evaluate the […]

The objective of the research was to test the effect of a molusquicida (Niclosamida) in the tadpoles control and not to compromise the development and survival of common carps in the egg development until 28 days age. Six experiments were carried out and involved six tadpoles and fishes development phases (egg, 7, 12, 21, 27 and 34 days). A completely randomized experimental design, with five treatments (0.00, 0.10, 0.15, 0.20 and 0.25 ppm niclosamida) and four replicates, was used. Post-larvae […]

The trial was carried out in a Tanzania grass (Panicum maximum) pasture, rotationally grazed by lactating cows, to estimate the dry matter intake. Three treatments were tested: crossbred cows fed 3 kg per day of concentrate and crossbred and Zebu cows (Gyr) without concentrate supplementation. The forage availability was 7,340.2 kg of dry matter (DM) /ha before and 5,639.5 after the 3rd grazing day. The Tanzania grass DM intake was 8.26 ± 5.66, 11.01 ± 5.37 and 9.55 ± 2.31 […]

Five rumen fistulated steers were used to study sugar cane degradation with several protein sources through in situ method. The treatments were sugar cane and urea; sugar cane and soybean meal; sugar cane, soybean meal and urea; sugar cane and corn gluten meal; sugar cane, corn gluten meal and urea; and at 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72, 96 and 120 hours of incubation. After the incubation period, ammonia concentration and pH were determined in the ruminal fluid, sampled at […]

The effects of different levels of roughage on intake and apparent absorption of calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), sodium (Na), potassium (K) and magnesium (Mg) were studied. Forty Holstein x Zebu calves, with initial average live weight of 60 kg, allotted to a completely randomized design, were fed concentrate and chopped coastcross (Cynodon dactylon) grass hay ad libitum in the following levels: 10; 25; 40; 55 e 90%, on a DM basis. The coefficients of apparent absorption were obtained by one […]

The voluntary dry matter intake (DMI), rate of passage and mean retention time in the rumen and gastrointestinal tract were estimated using 18 crossbred Holstein-Zebu lactating cows grazing elephantgrass. The voluntary DMI and fecal output estimations the models proposed by QUIROZ et al. (1988) and POND et al. (1989) were used. The data of rate of passage and those of retention time in the rumen the model suggested by GROVUM and WILLIAMS (1973) was chosen. The elephantgrass pasture were fertilized […]