The objective of this trial was to evaluate the partial replacement of ground corn with soybean hulls or corn germ meal on ruminal microbial protein synthesis and efficiency and ruminal dilution and passage rates. Three crossbreed steers fitted with ruminal and duodenal cannulas were assigned to two 3 x 3 Latin squares. The experimental diets contained: corn silage (60%), sunflower meal and ground corn (GC diet) that was partially replaced with soybean hulls (SBH diet) or corn germ meal (CGM […]

This trial was conducted to study the effects of pre and postnatal feed restriction on growth and production of Santa Inês lambs from birth to weaning. Sixty-eight lambs were assigned to three treatments as follows: prenatal feed restriction (PRER), postnatal feed restriction (POSTR), and no feed restriction (Control). Average birth body weight of lambs on Control (4.628 kg) and POSTR (4.421 kg) treatments were similar but higher than that of animals on PRER (3.024 kg). Milk replacer intake averaged 1.308, […]

The objective of this trial was to study the nutritional divergence of sugarcane genotypes for feeding ruminants. The following sugarcane genotypes were evaluated: RB72454, RB835486, SP80-1842, IAC86-2480, RB977512, RB867515, RB935566, RB925345, RB977625, SP79-1011, SP80-1816, SP81-3250, and SP91-1049 all harvested at 11 months of age. The discriminatory variables were: neutral detergent fiber (NDF), hemicellulose, lignin, NDF to soluble carbohydrate ratio, NDF undegradable fraction, and rates of NDF and DM degradation. Application of the cluster analyses according to the Tocher approach, using […]

Twenty Jersey calves were used to investigate the effects of different ether extract levels of a commercial milk replacer on body weight, average daily weight gain, height at withers, heart girth, and starter intake from the 8th to the 90th day after birth. It was of particular interest to determine the optimum milk replacer ether extract level. This trial was conducted at EMBRAPA Clima Temperado, CPACT, from October 2000 to May 2001. Animals were assigned, according to their birth date, […]

Twenty-four lactating dairy cows were assigned to a completely randomized block design to compare the effects of isoenergetic diets but different crude protein (CP) levels: P100- 100%, P133- 133% or P166- 166% of the NRC (1989) requirements on the concentrations of urea nitrogen in plasma (PUN) and milk (MUN). Increasing levels of CP were obtained by adding urea to the diet. Feeds, milk, and blood were all collected weekly from 30 days before to 60 days after parturition. Milk yield […]

Twelve Holstein-Zebu lactating dairy cows were used to study the effects of different carbohydrate sources and soybean oil on dry matter intake, milk yield, and milk composition. The following carbohydrate sources were used: corn (CO), wheat bran (WB) or citric pulp (CP) with 0 or 2.25% of soybean oil. No significant interactions between soybean oil and carbohydrate sources were observed in this trial. Both dry matter intake (18.4 kg/day) and milk yield (23.5 kg/day) did not differ among carbohydrate sources […]

In this study the net requirements of energy and protein for weight gain were estimated through the comparative slaughter technique using 56 Nellore steers averaging 432 kg of initial body weight. The analytical composition of the 9th-10th-11th ribs was used to estimate empty body (EB) composition. Eight steers were slaughtered at the beginning of the trial to determine the initial body composition while the remaining steers were fed for 70 days diets containing 60% of concentrate (dry matter basis) composed […]

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of pre and postnatal feed restriction on growth and production of Santa Inês lambs from weaning to slaughter. Forty-eight lambs were assigned to three treatments as follows: lambs with prenatal feed restriction (PRER), lambs with postnatal feed restriction (POSTR), and lambs with no feed restriction (Control). Average daily feed intake (as fed basis) of lambs on POSTR treatment (624 g/d) was significantly lower (P<0.05) than that of lambs on control (757 g/d) […]

The objective of this trial was to study the in vitro effects of monensin and propolis on ruminal fermentation of amino acids. Ruminal fluid was collected from a steer grazing tropical pasture and after addition of casein hydrolysate was used in the incubations. Treatments consisted of: control-C; monensin-M; and propolis-P. In the first phase of the study, inocula were transferred daily into new tubes until day 10; on the 11th day of incubation, tubes from each of the treatments were […]

The objective of this study was to evaluate the lactation curve and milk quality of Saanen goats receiving diets with different forage:concentrate ratios. Twenty goats averaging 59.59 ± 6.97 kg of body weight were assigned to a completely randomized design. The following forage:concentrate ratios were used: 40:60, 50:50, 60:40, 70:30, or 80:20 and provided 2.95, 2.83, 2.70, 2.58, or 2.46 Mcal ME/kg DM, respectively. Animals were confined during 152 days in individual stalls with daily measurements of intake and milk […]