A static deterministic model was used to evaluate productivity and efficiency of growing and finishing beef steers systems in Rio Grande do Sul State differing at steers slaughter age (IA): 54, 42, 36, 30, 24 and 18 months (IA54, IA42, IA36, IA30, IA24 e IA18, respectively), or in market live weight for buying and sale (cattle growing systems from 150 to 250 kg -R1, from 250 to 350 kg -R2, or finishing cattle from 350 to 450 kg -R3). Feeding […]

The average particle size (PS) and module of fineness (MF) of the diet, ruminal digesta and feces of steers, as well as relative resistance (RR) of the particles to escape of the reticulum-rumen, were studied in a native pasture of the Zona da Mata – Minas Gerais State, during the Season 1 (S1), that corresponded to the months of February/March/April, and Season 2 (S2), that corresponded to the months of August/September/October. The PS and MF of the diet selected by […]

Traditional analytical methods of assessing forage nutritional value are time-consuming and expensive. The near infrared reflectance method appears as an alternative that does not utilize chemicals, is not destructive and is extremely fast. However, in order to be used in a routinely basis, calibration curves have to be developed from laboratory results and mathematical equations. The objective of this paper was to develop calibration curves for corn silage, using a total of 246 samples collected in different regions of Rio […]

With the aim of a better understanding of quantitative growth traits in Nellore cattle, some parameters were estimated: variance components and heritability coefficients of weight gains between the standardized ages of 120 and 240, 240 and 365, 365 and 455, and 455 and 555 days, and of scrotal circumference gains between the standardized ages of 365 and 455, and 455 and 555 days; and (co)variance components and genetic correlations between weight and scrotal circumference gains. Information from 29,769 records of […]

The objective of this work was to analyze the various factors which influence calving interval (CI), true fertility (TF), ratio of birth (RBW) and weaning weight (RWW) of the calf to the calving weight of the cow, using the crossbred herd of EMBRAPA Cerrados as a model. The data, from 4469 calvings, collected between 1976 and 1999, was analyzed using the GLM, CORR and PRINCOMP procedures of SAS. The reproductive parameters investigated include ratio of calf birth weight/calving weight of […]

Partial or total data, from several works, on nutritional requirements of bovine, were utilized. In all the experiments, the comparative slaughter technique was used, with the slaughter of a representative sample of the experimental animals at the beginning of the feeding period and the determination of the empty body composition. The fat, protein, energy, Ca, P, Mg, Na and K contents retained in the animal body of each breed group were estimated by regression equations of the logarithm of protein, […]

To evaluate the reproductive efficiency and its relationship with productive traits and genetic composition of a herd, in tropical climate, 113 cows were ssigned to seven crossbreeding levels: 1/2, 3/4, 7/8, 9/16 and 15/16 Holstein x Zebu, crossbreed pure Holstein and Gir. The studied traits were: age at calving, calving season, interval from calving to first service, interval from first service to fertile service, number of services, service period, interval calving, reproductive efficiency, lactation period, milk production by lactation order […]

To verify the ovarian activity in respect to follicular dynamics and corpus luteum activity, 25 cows distributed in five experimental groups according to the crossbreeding level as: group 1: 1/2 Holstein x Zebu, group 2: 3/4 Holstein x Zebu, group 3: 15/16 Holstein x Zebu, group 4: crossbreed pure Holstein and group 5: 7/8 Holstein x Zebu, were daily monitored by ultrasonography examination during two estrous cycle after the second postpartum cycle. The average in days for the interovulatory period […]

Four buffaloes and four cattle, rumen fistulated, were utilized in two Latin Square (4 x 4) to evaluate the effects of rations with increasing levels of NDF (54, 60, 66 and 72% in DM) and two porous size of the nylon bags (53 and 100 mm) on the population of ciliate protozoa in rumen content and inside the nylon bags suspended in the rumen for several times. There was no difference in the several genus and in the total of […]

The trial aimed to evaluate the apparent strain digestibility coefficients (CDa) of dry matter (MS), gross energy (EB) and crude protein (PB) of soybean meal (FS), corn (MO), wheat (TG), wheat meal (FT), millet pearl (MT), triticale (TC), cassava meal (FM) and soybean oil (OS) of Nile tilapia fingerlings of Thai. One hundred sexual reverted animals were used, with a mean weight of 37.61 ± 4.98g, distributed in two alimentation 500L mansory tanks and feces collect in modified Guelph system […]