ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate the effect of using different concentrations (5, 7.5, 10, and 12.5%) of two permeating cryoprotectants, dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) and methanol, on Prochilodus lineatus embryos while being subjected to cooling for 2, 4, 6, and 8 h at 4 °C. We analyzed the hatching rate, viable larvae, and counts of hatched and spoiled eggs and those that did not complete their development after cooling. We observed a significant interaction among variables, permeable cryoprotectant concentration, and […]

ABSTRACT We evaluated the technical feasibility of purified glycerin inclusion in balanced diets of broiler chickens treated from 1 to 42 days of age. A total of 240 broiler chickens were distributed in a completely randomized design into four treatments (0, 2, 4, and 6% purified glycerin inclusion), with six replicates of 10 broilers each. We evaluated productive performance (at 7, 21, and 42 days), edible viscera (heart, liver, and gizzard), carcass yield and cuts, color, chemical and physical composition, […]

ABSTRACT The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) gene on plumage coloration in mule ducks. PCR-high-resolution melting analysis (PCR-HRM) and DNA sequencing were used to identify the SNP variability of the MC1R gene in white common ducks. Three non-synonymous SNP (MC1R gene exon 1, c.52G>A, c.376G>A, and c.409G>A) were identified in white Tsaiya ducks. Mating test (white Tsaiya ducks × white Muscovy drakes) in combination […]

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to analyze the genetic evolution of milk production, udder morphology, and animal behavior of Gir dairy cattle. Data were obtained on the predicted breeding values for milk yield of 60,226 cows born from 1968 to 2015 and standardized predicted breeding values for udder conformation and milking behavior of 7,635 cows born from 1987 to 2015. The influence of tested bulls on genetic trends was discussed, with special focus on the period after 1993, […]

ABSTRACT This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of Curcuma longa on the growth performance, intestinal integrity, and antimicrobial activity of chicks colonized by Salmonella Typhimurium. The study included 672 one-day-old male chicks of the CobbTM lineage, which were divided into eight treatment groups with 14 birds per group and six repetitions, for a total of 48 experimental units per treatment. A randomized 4×2 factorial design scheme (C. longa levels × inoculation by Salmonella Typhimurium) was used. Chicks were […]

ABSTRACT The present study was carried out to evaluate the phenotypic diversity between fighting cocks; roosters of the naturalized ecotypes Graúna Dourada, Brejeira, Teresina, and Nordestina; roosters of the Sertaneja genetic (synthetic) group; and family-farmed roosters via descriptive and multivariate analyses. The qualitative traits evaluated by descriptive analysis indicated a prevalence of single comb in the Graúna Dourada, Teresina, Nordestina, and Sertaneja ecotypes, whereas the Brejeira ecotype, fighting cocks, and family-farmed roosters have a pea-type comb, which can be viewed […]

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the trainer and the adopted daily work on the behavior and performance of horses of the Mangalarga Marchador breed on a horse farm and in racetracks in northern Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Twenty equines and nine trainers from four farms and three competition events of the breed were observed. The experiment was divided into two stages. In the first stage, the animals were observed together with their trainer […]

ABSTRACT The objective of this research was to study the effect of immunocastration on the morphometric characteristics of sex glands in male Swallow-bellied Mangalitsa pigs. The study included 24 animals (13 entire and 11 immunocastrated males). The research focused on the following traits: age at slaughter (days), live weight at slaughter (kg), growth rate (kg day−1), and morphometric testicle traits (volume, cm3; weight, g; length, width, thickness, and circumference, mm). The efficacy of immunocastration was determined based on androstenone and […]

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of stereotypic behavior on productivity measures in sows. Frequent expression of stereotypies by pigs has been reported, even when pigs are not maintained in crates. This behavior is only observed in animals kept in captivity and is a wide-range welfare indicator, since it is considered to develop in situations of chronic stress or frustration. When comparing groups of sows showing low or high frequency of stereotypy expression, we found […]

ABSTRACT This study was intended to estimate the genetic associations between growth traits and visual scores with possible changes in mature weight (MW) in 397,900 Nellore animals. A bi-character analysis was performed to estimate the (co)variances and genetic parameters for MW, which comprises the following traits: conformation, finishing precocity, musculature at weaning (WC, WP, and WM) and yearling (YC, YP, and YM), birth weight (BW), weight from birth to weaning (WG), weight from weaning to yearling (YG), and final index […]