The objective of this study was to verify the effects of GnRH on ovulation and pregnancy of ewes subjected to a short-term synchronization of estrus. Santa Inês and crossbred Santa Inês/Dorper ewes received 60 mg MAP sponges during 6 days plus 300 IU eCG and 30 µg d-cloprostenol 24 h prior to sponge withdrawal (SW). Ewes were assigned to receive 0.9% NaCl solution (Tcontrol; n = 32) or 25 µg GnRH (licerelin, TGnRH; n = 34) 24 hours after SW. […]

The objective of the present study was to evaluate nutritional plans for boars. Four hundred animals of 67 to 135 days of age and initial weight of 27.75±1.61 kg were distributed in a randomized block design with seven nutritional plans for boars (9.0-8.0; 9.0-9.0; 10.0-9.0; 10.0-10.0; 11.0-10.0; 11.0-11.0 and 12.0-11.0 g/kg of digestible lysine from 67 to 107 days and from 108 to 135 days, respectively) with four repetitions and a control plan for barrows (11.0-10.0 g/kg of digestible lysine) […]

The objective of this study was to formulate mathematical models to estimate digestible protein in some animal feeds for tilapia. Literature results of the proximate composition of crude protein, ether extract, and mineral matter, as well as digestible protein obtained in biological assays, were used. The data were subjected to multiple linear stepwise backward regression. Path analysis was performed to measure the direct and indirect effects of each independent variable on the dependent one. To validate the model, the experience […]

Performance and economic indicators of a large scale fish farm that produces round fish, located in Mato Grosso State, Brazil, were evaluated. The 130.8 ha-water surface area was distributed in 30 ponds. Average total production costs and the following economic indicators were calculated: gross income (GI), gross margin (GM), gross margin index (GMI), profitability index (PI) and profit (P) for the farm as a whole and for ten ponds individually. Production performance indicators were also obtained, such as: production cycle […]

Morphogenetic and structural characteristics of forage grasses were evaluated in order to group them according to their pattern of development in their respective functional groups. Grasses were planted in plots of 1.0 m2 with 24 plants in a completely randomized block design with three replications. Data were submitted to factor analysis, reducing the variables to four factors: mass development, tiller mortality, developmental stage and leaf longevity. The data were submitted to cluster analysis by Tocher’s optimization by adopting the mean […]

The objective of this study was to evaluate the chemical composition of the forage apparently consumed by steers in a natural grassland on region of Campanha, in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, subjected or not to different inputs: NP – natural pasture without inputs; FNP – fertilized natural pasture and INP – improved natural grassland with fertilization and over-seeded with cultivated winter species. Three Angus steers testers and a variable number of regulator animals per experimental unit were utilized in […]

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different lipid sources on nutrient intake, performance, development and carcass characteristics of heifers raised in confinement. Twenty-one crossbreed heifers  (Nellore × Santa Gertrudis × Braunvieh) received 600 g/kg forage composed of corn silage and 400 g/kg concentrate with a 58.0 g/kg fat content in the total diet. The following lipid sources were used: soybeans, protected fat (Megalac-E®) and soybean oil. The experimental design was completely randomized, with three treatments […]

The objective of this study was to evaluate productive performance and milk quality of Saanen goats fed diets with soybean hulls replacing ground corn (0, 50 and 100% replacement) in early lactation (from birth to 50 days of lactation). Fourteen goats (72.30±9.14 kg of BW) were used in a completely randomized design. Animals were confined in individual stalls, with daily control of feed intake and milk production. On the 30th day of lactation, fecal sampling started in order to determine […]

The objective of this research was to compare the magnitude of genetic parameters (coefficients of heritability and genetic correlation) as estimated by the Restricted Maximum Likelihood (REML) method and Bayesian Inference, and to estimate the genetic and phenotypic trends to the traits height at the withers (HW24) and weight at 24 months of age (W24). The average heritability estimated by Bayesian Inference to HW24 was 0.47, and it was lower than that obtained by REML bi-trait analysis (0.52); however, the […]

The objective of this study was to determine the nutritional requirements of energy and protein and estimate the efficiencies of metabolizable energy utilization for fat and protein deposition, as well as for maintenance (km) and growth (kg). An experiment of comparative slaughter was carried out with thirty-seven 14-month-old (±1 month) Nellore bulls with 259±24.9 kg. Animals were divided as follows: five to reference, four to maintenance level and twenty-eight bulls feeding ad libitum. Bulls were also grouped in 4 different […]