ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate performance and carcass and meat characteristics of lambs fed a solution of cheese whey plus water (100 g kg−1 dry matter) (CW) during feedlot and pre-slaughter lairage. Data were analyzed as a 2 × 2 factorial (place – feedlot and slaughterhouse, food – water or CW). We evaluated the following treatments (feedlot/slaughterhouse): CW/CW, CW/water, water/CW, and control (water/water). The lambs were given a balanced diet for 70 days in the feedlot. […]

ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate the buriti oil (Mauritia flexuosa L.) inclusion levels (0, 15, 30, and 45 g kg−1 in dry matter) replacing ground corn on the feeding behavior, as well as physiological and hematological variables of crossbred lactating Anglo Nubian goats. Eight Anglo Nubian goats were used, which were distributed in a double 4 × 4 Latin square experimental design (four periods and four levels of buriti oil) replacing corn in the total dry matter. For the […]

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different lipid sources in diets for lactating cows on milk yield and composition, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) content, and fatty acid profile in the milk fat. Five primiparous Holstein cows were distributed in a 5 × 5 Latin square design. Treatments were: control (no lipid addition) and four other diets containing different lipids sources – ground raw soybean, cottonseed, soybean oil, and calcium salts of soybean fatty acids […]

ABSTRACT Tannins represent one of the most abundant polyphenolic compounds in plants. Tannins exist as a multitude of chemically unique entities in nature. The most commonly occurring tannins are typically divided into two major classes based on chemical structure: hydrolysable (HT) or condensed tannins (CT). Hydrolysable tannins are esters of gallic or ellagic acid linked to a polyol core, typically glucose. Condensed tannins or proanthocyanidins consist of flavan-3-ol subunits linked together to form oligomers and polymers. Both HT and CT […]

ABSTRACT The present study aimed at comparing predictive performance of some data mining algorithms (CART, CHAID, Exhaustive CHAID, MARS, MLP, and RBF) in biometrical data of Mengali rams. To compare the predictive capability of the algorithms, the biometrical data regarding body (body length, withers height, and heart girth) and testicular (testicular length, scrotal length, and scrotal circumference) measurements of Mengali rams in predicting live body weight were evaluated by most goodness of fit criteria. In addition, age was considered as […]

ABSTRACT The objective of the study was to evaluate the replacement of Tifton 85 hay (TH) for Tifton 85 silage (TS) in the diets of lactating cows. Five Holstein cows in middle of lactation were allocated in a 5 × 5 Latin square design and each experimental period lasted 18 days (12 days for adaptation and six days for collection). Treatments consisted of replacement of 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100% of TH for TS. The intake and digestion of […]

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of high or low energy intake on carcass composition and expression of hypothalamic genes related to the onset of puberty. Twenty-four prepubertal Nellore heifers, 18-20- months-old, with 275.3±18.0 kg body weight (BW), and 4.9±0.2 (1-9 scale) body condition score (BCS) were randomly assigned to two treatments: high-energy diet (HE) and low-energy diet (LE). Heifers were housed in two collective pens and fed diets formulated to promote average daily gain […]

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the production performance of feedlot cattle fed diets containing chopped sugarcane ratios (580 or 380 g/kg of diet dry matter) as roughage and levels of inclusion of babassu mesocarp bran (BMB; 420 to 620 g/kg of concentrate dry matter). Twenty-four young Nellore bulls with 321±23 kg initial body weight, at 22 months of age, were used in a completely randomized experimental design with treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement […]

ABSTRACT This study aimed to assess the effects of palm kernel cake on semen quality and biochemical parameters of Santa Inês lambs. A total of 40 animals with 24.10±2.72 kg body weight and five months old were assigned in a completely randomized design into four groups and 10 replicates. The animals were subjected to four levels of palm kernel cake (0, 15, 30, and 45%) based on dry matter. The trial lasted 90 days foregone by 15 days for adaptation. […]

ABSTRACT Studies on B-vitamin requirements of cattle, conducted more than 60 years ago, concluded that mature ruminants do not require B-vitamin supplements because the amounts of vitamins provided by the diet and synthesized by the ruminal microflora were sufficient to prevent emergence of deficiency symptoms. As a result, the impact of subclinical deficiency on maintenance of normal and efficient metabolism has been disregarded and very little research effort has been devoted at defining dairy cow requirements for B vitamins. However, […]