Twenty-four castrated Holstein x Zebu bovines averaging 435 kg of initial body weight and 36 months of age were assigned to a randomized complete block design (six replications/treatment) to investigate the effects of sorghum silage with different concentrate levels on intake, apparent total tract digestibility, weight gain, feed conversion, and carcass yield. Animals received the following forage:concentrate ratios: 80:20, 65:35, 50:50, and 35:65 on dry matter basis. Different forage:concentrate ratios did not change significantly intakes of DM, OM, CP, and […]

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 […]

A model fitted to grazing females Nellore during the rearing periods of the Cerrado Region of Central Brazil was simulated and validated in this study. Body weight gain (BWG) was determined during three years as follows: 1) first dry season after weaning on Brachiaria brizantha (Hochst) Stapf., 2) rainfall season and 3) second dry season both on Panicum maximum Jacq. cv. Tanzânia and averaged 0.020, 0.550, and 0.172 kg, respectively. In the second rainfall season during the rearing period heifers […]

The objective of this trial was to evaluate the effects of dietary monensin and soybean oil on milk fatty acid (FA) profile in the 5th and 15th week of lactation of dairy cows. Sixteen multiparous crossbred dairy cows averaging 30 days in milk were assigned to a completely randomized block design in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement (presence or absence of monensin and soybean oil). The following diets were used: control not supplemented with monensin or soybean oil (CT), […]

Two trials were carried out to evaluate the moisture sorghum silage (HMSS) with high or low tannin content as ingredient in broiler chicken diets. In the digestibility trial, ninety 20-d chicks were assigned to a completely randomized design with three treatments and six replications, and five chicks per experimental unit. Coefficients of metabolizable dry matter (MDM), metabolizable protein (MP), metabolizable starch (MS), metabolizable organic matter (MOM) and metabolizable energy (ME) of HMSS with high tannin, as-fed basis (66.22%DM), were as […]

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 work aimed to evaluate the effects of forage allowances on canopy changes, the grazing time and forage intake by steers grazing tanzaniagrass (Panicum maximum Jacq.) pasture. The four levels of herbage allowance (HA) (kg of leaf blade /100 kg animal live weight/day, %) were: 6.1 ± 0.59; 11.1 ± 0.77; 18.0 ± 1.24 and 23.9 ± 1.15%. Eight Nelore animals averaging 229.0 and 249.5 kg grazed each paddock in the first and second sampling periods, respectively. A completely randomized […]

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 study was conducted to evaluate the effects of high moisture corn and high moisture sorghum versus corn and sorghum grains on intake and production of feedlot lambs. Confinement lasted 77 days and was divided in two periods as follows: in the first 35 days elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum.) was used in a forage:concentrate ratio of 50:50 while Brachiaria-grass (Brachiaria brizantha) hay was used in a forage:concentrate of 30:70 in the remaining 42 days. Animals were blocked by weight […]

The objective of this study was to evaluate correlations between ultrasonography measurements and carcass traits of 115 steers (Nellore, ½ Angus-Nellore, ½ Simmental-Nellore, and Canchim) averaging 329 kg of initial body weight and two different finishing frame sizes (small and large). After 120 days in a feedlot, body weight, rib eye area (RA), and fat thickness (FT) were measured by ultrasound. Following slaughter, carcass RA and FT measurements and weights of hindquarter, forequarter, and commercial cuts were all taken; body […]