The objective of this study was to select superior genotypes in half-sib populations obtained from crosses between sexual plants and apomictic accessions. The experiment also proposed to compare among and within family and combined selection strategies. Ten plots of sexual plants were randomly distributed among 230 plots of apomictic accessions. After natural pollination, seeds of each sexual plant constituted a half-sib family. Thirty plants of each female progenitor were evaluated in a randomized block design experiment, with five plants per […]

The objective of this study was to determine the biases in estimating fecal excretion from the internal markers indigestible dry matter (DMi), indigestible neutral detergent fiber (NDFi) and indigestible acid detergent fiber (ADFi) and the external marker chromic oxide (Cr2O3) in a digestion trial with ruminants. Five crossbred Holstein-Zebu castrated males with 240 kg average weight were used. The research consisted of three twelve-day experimental periods, from which the first six days were assigned to animal adaptation. The animals were […]

The effects of diets with increasing ground corn grain levels (0, 22, 37 and 49% in the dry matter) substituting coast-cross hay, with different protein:non-fibrous carbohydrate ratios (CP:NFC = 1.01; 0.39; 0.33 and 0.27) were assessed on buffalo ruminal metabolism. Four rumen fistulated buffaloes were used kept in a 4 × 4 latin square design, to collect liquid ruminal samples, collected in each experimental period (28 days) at 0, 2, 4 and 8 hours after feeding. In general, the buffalo […]

The objective of this study was to evaluate the intake, total and partial dry matter (DM) digestibility and the nutrients and ruminal parameters of steer fed diet based on cottonseed processing residue (CSPR) supplemented with sugarcane dried yeast. Six steers, with rumen and duodenal cannulae were fed diets consisting of 80% CSPR and 20% concentrate, consisting of corn, urea and yeast at levels of 0, 20 or 40%. A randomized block design was used to analyze intake and digestibility and […]

The objective of this study was to evaluate carcass characteristics of steers and cull cows from two genetic groups, under different feeding frequencies. Twelve steers and twelve cull cows were used and each category consisted of six animals 5/8 Charolais (C) – Nellore (N) and six animals 5/8NC, under three feeding frequencies: twice a day (7 a.m. and 7 p.m.); three times a day (7 a.m., 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.) and four times a day (7 a.m., 11 a.m., […]

This experiment was carried to evaluate the performance and egg quality of laying hens in the second production cycle consuming whole corn germ in substitution of corn in the diet. The forced molting procedure of 250 Lohmann LSL laying hens was accomplished in the 66th to 74th weeks of age. In 75th week of age, 192 birds were standardized by weight. The experimental period coreresponded to the interval between the 78th and 90th weeks of age of the hens. Four […]

An economical analysis of milk production systems was made with lactating cows on Mombaça grass pasture receiving different sources of roughage supplementation during the dry season. The supplementations were: black oat pasture, forage sugarcane with urea and sorghum silage. The economical indicators used were: net present value (NPV) and internal rates of return (IRR). For each production system studied one cash flow was used with their particularities and productive and reproductive performances index, obtained experimentally. The cash flows were built […]

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the performance and composition of litter, tibia, liver and excreta of broiler chicks at different phases using different levels of available phosphorous (Pd) and the enzyme phytase. One thousand and two hundred one-day-Cobb-male chicks were used, distributed in a randomized complete design, using a 4 × 3 factorial arrangement, consisting of four available phosphorus levels and three phytase levels – 0, 500 and 1,000 FTU phytase/kg of diet with four replications of 25 birds […]

Twelve cows were allotted to three 4 × 4 latin squares to evaluate intake and apparent digestibility of nutrients, milk composition and production and feeding behavior. The treatments consisted of maize silage or sugarcane with 0, 7 or 14% of whole cottonseed. In the established forage:concentrate ratio of 60:40, the corn silage treatment was superior for most of parameters evaluated including dry matter intake (20.8 kg/d), milk and fat corrected milk production (25.0 and 27.0 kg/d) and daily production of […]

The objective of this study was to evaluate the replacement of soybean meal by cottonseed meal in the diet of dairy cows fed diets based on spineless cactus. Five Girolando lactating cows were used, with average live weight of 490 kg and average production of 11.5 kg of milk/day, distributed in a 5 × 5 Latin square design (5 animals, 5 treatments and 5 experimental periods). Each experimental period lasted 15 days, 10 days being for the adaptation of the […]