Data from the Caracu herd of Sertãozinho Experimental Station, selected for post weaning weight between 1979 and 2002, was analyzed to describe effective size, generation coefficient, generation interval, selection differentials and genetic gain in this population. Genetic gain was estimated by the product of the average weighted standardized differential (kg) and heritability divided by the average generation interval. Averages of sire and dam weighted selection differentials for post weaning weights were 1.10 and 0.28 standard deviations units (s.d.u). Sire and […]

The objective of this study was to evaluate production, blood metabolites, and nutrient digestibility of Saanen goats either in the beginning or after 60 days of lactation. 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 in individual stalls with daily measurements of feed intake […]

This trial was carried out to evaluate the effects of different concentrate crude protein levels (15, 20 or 25%) on production and carcass traits of Suffolk lambs in creep feeding. An economical analysis of the production system was also performed. Fifteen single birth lambs fed ad libitum twice a day were used in this study. The average daily intake was measured by subtracting the orts from the amount of feed offered to the animals. Lambs were weighed every fourteen days […]

This work was conducted to evaluate the nutritional value of whole soybean submitted to different processing. Four trials were conducted to determine digestibility coefficients of dry matter (DCDM), ether extract (DCEE) and amino acids and the values of apparent and true metabolizable energy of the whole deactivated soybean processed by steam heated (WDS) and whole extruded soybean (WES) compared to a mixture of soybean meal plus soybean oil (SMO) and soybean meal plus soybean acid oil (SMAO). The trials one […]

The objective of this trial was to study the intake and production at pasture of 15 Holstein-Gyr heifers (5 per treatment) averaging 16.5 ± 4.2 months of age and 211.97 ± 34.28 kg of body weight (BW) and fed supplements containing either 40% or 60% of rumen-undegradable protein (RUP). Forage availability was monitored to maintain a supply of 6% of BW. Both chromic oxide (10 g/day/heifer) and indigestible neutral detergent fiber (INDF) were used as external and internal markers, respectively. […]

Sixteen 7/8 Holstein-Zebu multiparous cows averaging 30 DIM were used in a complete randomized block design with a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement to study the effects of supplementing monensin and/or soybean oil on production of early lactating dairy cows. The experimental period lasted 84 days and was divided in three phases as follows: I – 5th to 8th, II – 9th to 12th, and III – 13th to 16th week of lactation. The following treatments were used: control diet […]

The growth of the Brazilian bovine cattle population was evaluated using the effective number of animals and the annual slaughter rate from 1983 to 2000. The Richards model was fitted with the profile likelihood technique. Two population parameters were calculated by Markov chain modeling: a) the probability of the cattle population to reach 200 million of animals in 2015 as a function of the slaughter rate; b) the time to reach this size, considering different annual slaughter rates. The Richards […]

One experiment was carried out to evaluate the use of lactose sources (dried whey and lactose) and lysine levels (1.20 and 1.50%) in diets for weaned piglets with diferent body weight at 21 days of age, regarding performance and intestinal morphology of piglets in initial phase. Three hundred and eighty-four piglets from 21 to 42 days were sorted in a complete randomized design with a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial arrangement, in a total of eight treatments and four […]

This experiment was conducted to evaluate different levels of digestible energy on the performance of Nile tilapia larvae (Oreochromis niloticus) during the sexual reversion phase. Three hundred and seventy-five larvae with initial average length and weight of 21.0±4.0 mg and 1.19±0.72 cm, respectively, were allotted to 25 30L-aquarium. A completely randomized design with five treatments and five replicates was used. The aquarium with 15 larvae was the experimental unit. The diets were formulated to contain levels of 3,300, 3,525, 3,750, […]

Random regression models using Legendre polynomials were used to describe the growth curve of Nelore cattle weighted every three months from birth to 720 days of age, in Pernambuco state, northeastern Brazil. Six different random regression models using Legendre polynomials of three, four, and five degrees to model additive genetic and permanent environmental effects, under homogeneous and heterogeneous residual variances with three classes were evaluated. According to the Akaike’s information criteria, the five degree Legendre polynomial with homogeneous error was […]