The objective of this trial was to evaluate the effects of feeding diets containing corn silage or sugarcane bagasse plus high moisture corn or dry corn grain on performance and carcass characteristics of finishing young bulls. Twenty-eight Santa Gertrudis young bulls averaging 10 months of age and 245 kg of body weight were assigned to a completely randomized block design with a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Animals were maintained in individual pens during 142 days and were […]

The objective of this trial was to evaluate carcass characteristics, cuts yield, tissues proportion, and chemical composition and fatty acid profile of the Longissimus dorsi of feedlot kids fed diets, in which soybean hulls (SH) replaced ground corn grain (GCG). Fifteen Boer x Saanen male kids were assigned to a completely randomized design (five animals per treatment) and slaughtered at 33.82 ± 4.40 kg of body weight. Diets were composed by star grass hay (Cynodon spp), soybean meal, GCG and/or […]

The objective of this trial was to evaluate the diurnal ingestive behavior of late pregnant-early lactating Corriedale ewes grazing annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) at different phenological growth stages (vegetative, pre-flowering and flowering). Animals were maintained in paddocks of 1.3 ha from July 21 to November 11 of 2000. Grazing time, bite rate, bite weight, crude protein (CP) content per bite, and forage dry matter (DM) and CP intakes were measured. The longest grazing time and the greatest forage DM […]

Seventy-two finishing Canchim bulls averaging 318 kg of initial body weight and 18 months of age were assigned to a completely randomized block design to evaluate the effects of replacing ground corn (GC) with dried citrus pulp (CP) on average daily weight gain, dry matter intake, feed efficiency, carcass yield, and Longissimus dorsi fat thickness. Diets contained forage (sugarcane silage) to concentrate ratio of 30:70 and the following levels of CP and GC: 100% GC (CP0), 50% GC + 50% […]

Eight crossbred steers fitted with ruminal and duodenal cannulas were randomly assigned to two replicated 4 x 4 Latin squares to evaluate the effects of crude protein (CP) levels on microbial protein synthesis efficiency and in situ degradability of nutrients. Animals received a control diet containing Tifton 85 bermudagrass hay or the control diet supplemented with urea, soybean meal or corn gluten meal-60. Ruminal pH and concentration of ruminal ammonia (NH3-N) were determined in the ruminal fluid at 0 (pre-feeding), […]

The objective of this trial was to determine the intestinal digestibility of nutrients using an in vitro three-step enzymatic procedure. Eight concentrate feeds were evaluated: whole sunflower (WSF), mechanically pressed sunflower cake (SFC1x; one press extraction), mechanically pressed sunflower cake (SFC2x; two press extractions), whole soybean (WSB), partially degreased soybean (DSB), soybean meal (SBM), degreased corn germ meal (CGM), and a commercial concentrate with 36% of CP (CC). Feeds were incubated in the rumen of bovines for 33, 20 and […]

The objective of this trial was to evaluate the effect of milk production level on intake, digestibility of nutrients, microbial protein synthesis, and nitrogen (N) metabolism in Holstein cows. It was also of particular interest to compare spot urine sampling and total urine collection as methodologies to quantify yield of microbial N using purine derivatives (PD) as indirect microbial markers. Fifteen Holstein cows were grouped by milk yield (5.88 kg/day: LOW treatment; 18.54 kg/day: MEDIUM treatment; and 32.6 kg/day: HIGH […]

Twenty-seven Boer x Saanen goat kids (15 males and 12 females) averaging 25.75 ± 3.80 kg of initial BW were used in a completely randomized design to evaluate the effects of replacing ground corn grain (GCG) with soybean hulls (SH) on performance and apparent digestibility of nutrients. Diets contained star grass hay (Cynodon spp.), soybean meal, minerals, and one of the following levels of SH: 0% (GCG diet), 50% (SH50) or 100% (SH100). The experimental period lasted 42 days and […]

Twelve purebred and crossbred Holstein cows were assigned to three replicated 4 x 4 Latin squares to evaluate the effects of replacing corn grain with coffee hulls or soyhulls on chewing activity, ruminal metabolism, nitrogen utilization, and microbial protein synthesis. Animals were fed a control diet containing 60% corn silage and 40% concentrate (CS diet) or three sugarcane based diets with forage to concentrate ratio of 40:60. The sugarcane diets contained 100% of corn in the concentrate (SC diet) or […]

This experiment was conducted to estimate DM digestibility, fecal output, and DM intake of sheep fed a diet containing oat hay and concentrate. Treatments consisted of two methods of administration of the external marker alkane (C32): equilibrium and pulse dose. In the equilibrium treatment, animals received one daily pellet of cellulose containing 100 mg of C32 during eight days (four days for reach steady state conditions and five days for sample collection). Animals in the pulse dose treatment received only […]