The objective of this experiment was to compare qualitative carcass characteristics of 36 lambs that were finished in coastcross pasture, being 13 Corriedale, 14 Bergamacia x Corriedale, and 9 Hampshire Down x Corriedale, and 29 lambs tha twere finished in a dry-lot system, being 10 Corriedale, 11 Bergamacia x Corriedale, and 8 Hampshire Down x Corriedale. The average of the variables (scale ranging from 1 to 5), body condition score (2.70 vs 3.13.), conformation (2.65 vs. 3.35) and subcutaneous fat […]

The objective of this work was to develop a software to assist the technicians and producers in the determination of the cost of production of milk. The Milk Cost is made up of a plan of calculations encompassing both expenses and incomes. The user can put into a spreadsheet all the expenses and incomes concerning to the milk production system. The software enables the spreadsheet of all the estates and facilities of the production system, aiming the calculations of depreciation […]

The adequacy of the recommendation of phosphorus for growing Nellore steers was evaluated by means of the weight gain, feed intake and feed:gain ratio during 250 days. Fifteen steers were fed a basal P-deficient but otherwise adequate in the other nutrients, enabling gains of 500 g/day. The diet was supplemented (treatment 1 = 15 g P/day, treatment 2 = 11 g P/day) or not (treatment 3 = 5 g P/day) with monoammonium phosphate. Phosphorus deficiency did not affect organic matter […]

In order to increase the sugar cane bagasse digestibility, this agricultural by-product was treated with several chemical reagents with or without physical treatment. After preliminary evaluation, where several delignificant agents were evaluated, ten treatments were selected for more detailed in vitro dry and organic matter disappearance trials. Then, for the in vivo digestibility trial, four sugar cane bagasse based diets were made: 1 – Hydrolyzed sugar cane bagasse, pressure of 17 kgf/cm2 per 5 min; 2 – Bagasse treated with […]

The experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of energy supplementation on the performance of finishing cull cows under temporary grazing on triticale plus ryegrass. The energy supplement was ground sorghum in the levels of 0, .3, .6 and .9% of the live weight. Forty Charolais cull cows were divided in age classes and randomly distributed on the supplementation levels. No interaction was observed between age of the cow and supplementation level. The increase of supplementation level did not affect […]

The objective of this experimental work was to evaluate the influence of different levels of sorghum grain, as a source of starch, on the plasma parameters of sheep fed elephant grass hay (Pennisetum purpureum Schum). Sorghum grain was included in the diet at four levels: 0, 15, 30 e 45%. Twelve castrated male sheep were assigned to four treatments with three replicates. Six samples of blood per animal were collected just before the morning feeding (zero hour) and after 1, […]

The objective of this experiment was to estimate the dietary phosphorus requirement (P) for maintenance of kid goats in the growth phase by the endogenous loss method and comparative slaughter technique. Twenty-one males, average 18 kg LW, were used. From those, three were slaughtered at the beginning of the experiment, as reference, and the remaining 18 animals were fed isocaloric and isoproteic diets in a completely randomized design with 3×2 factorial arrangement (level of dietary P [0.12, 0.21 and 0.29% […]

The work was carried out to evaluate the plasma N-urea concentration (NUP), the urea fractional excretion (UFE) and the creatinine (CE) and urea (EU) excretions for several experimental conditions; to establish the relation among NUP, the urea fractional excretion and the urea excretion with the dietary crude protein (CP) and NDF percentage; and to evaluate the urinary endogenous losses, by means of the creatinine excretion determination. In the experiments I and II, diets with 25.0, 37.5, 50.0, 62.5, and 75.0% […]

An experiment was conducted to study the effects of allowance of ammoniated rice straw on the voluntary intake (VI) and digestibility of dry matter (DMD), and on the intake, excretion, digestibility and N balance. Fifteen adult sheep, males, castrated, with average weight of 63.8 kg, individually kept in metabolic cages, were used. The levels of straw fed to the animals were: 1.5; 3.0; 4.5; 6.0 and 7.5% of live weight. A supplement (200 g/animal/day of corn) was used to supply […]

An equation based on heat transfer theory was presented to estimate the rate of heat loss from cattle exposed to a tropical environment, specified by the air temperature, humidity, solar radiation, and wind speed. The animals’ variables (sweating rate, rectal temperature, respiratory rate, surface temperature, haircoat color, and body weight) were considered together with environmental variables (air temperature and humidity, solar radiation, wind speed, and globe temperature). The equation allows the prediction of (a) the metabolic heat production level necessary […]