Inbreeding effects on calving interval (CI), birth weight (BW), weaning weight (WW) and on the direct and maternal breeding values for BW were evaluated in a purebred Brown Swiss herd raised in northeast Brazil. Data were collected from 1946 to 1993. Inbreeding coefficients (F) were estimated according to Wright method using the MTDFREML package. Breeding values were predicted by a BLUP animal model that included fixed effects of sex, month and year of birth, parity of dam and direct and […]

This trial aimed to study the nutritive value of three Elephant grass clones (Cameroon, Roxo de Botucatu and Mott) and an Elephant grass with pearl millet hybrid (HV-241) cultivated under two different humidity conditions (with and without water stress). A randomized block design with split plots and three replicates was used. In the main plot, the effect of the humidity regimes was studied and in the split plot, the different clones. The dry matter (DM); crude protein (CP) and of […]

This work was carried out to evaluate the effect of cutting at 0, 15, 30 and 45 cm height, on some morphological and physiological characteristics of the Pennisetum purpureum, Schum., var. Roxo in dry and rainy seasons in the Paraiba swamp region. The samples were obtained from a useful area of 8,4 m2 from each parcel. After the uniformity cut, two cuts in dry season with 90 days interval and three cuts in the rainy season with 60 days interval […]

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of the forage to concentrate ratio in the nutrient intake by 25 crossbred steers with initial 310 kg LW. Five full fed diets based on tanzaniagrass hay and concentrate, with different forage to concentrate ratio (85:15, 70:30, 55:45; 40:60; and 25:75) were used. A quadratic effect was observed for the concentrate level in the diet on the intake of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP) and, gross […]

The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of cytoplasmic lineage on birth weight (BW) and pre weaning average daily gain (ADG), respectively of 4,212 and 3,844 records of Caracu cattle breed. The cytoplasmic lineage of each cow was traced back to the first female ancestor in the maternal line of its pedigree. The estimates of (co) variances and genetic parameters for BW and ADG including or not the components of maternal and cytoplasmic lineage effects, performed by […]

Thirty-three 39 crossbreed Holstein-Gyr steers were used in a research aiming to evaluate the effects of feed restriction prior to the confinement on the changes in body composition and in the net requirements of energy for maintenance and weight gain, and protein for weight gain. Thirty animals were submitted to a high grazing pressure, while the remaining nine steers had unrestricted access to forage (continuous gain group), after what, six animals from the first group and three from the second […]

One experiment was carried out to evaluate the partial substitution of soybean meal (FS) by others byproducts from soybean, obtained by different kinds of processing, as well as to compare these byproducts among themselves, as a protein source in the diets for piglets weaned at 21 days of age. With this aim, four treatments were compared: T1 – control diet, in which soybean meal was the only protein source; T2, T3 and T4 – 50% of the FS from control […]

The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of cytoplasmic lineage on milk yield of 11,163 records of Caracu cattle breed. The cytoplasmic lineage of each cow was traced back to the first female ancestor in the maternal line of its pedigree. The estimates of (co) variances and genetic parameters for milk yield including or not the components of maternal and cytoplasmic lineage effects, performed by univariate analyses were evaluated according to six different models using the derivative-free […]

Four male equines averaging 3.5 years old and live weight of 400-450 kg were distributed in a 4 x 4 Latin square (period x animal) experimental design. The inclusion of canola meal levels in diets were 0.0; 2.5; 4.5 and 7.0%, replacing respectively 0, 35, 65 and 100% of crude protein (CP) from soybean meal. The diets were isoproteic (13% CP) and isocaloric (4250 kcal/kg). The total fecal collection method was used for the determination of the nutrient digestibility coefficients. […]

This research was conducted to evaluate the energy and the fiber digestibility of diets containing urea, starea and cottonseed meal as nitrogen sources and corn silage as forage. Twenty-four lambs averaging 11 months old and initial 31 kg LW and total feces collection method were used. Dry matter intake was 64.1, 68.8 and 71.4 g /kg PV.75 /day and the energy, NDF and CF digestibilities were 63.0, 67.7 and 64.4%, 39.6, 55.7 and 50.0%, 47.0, 49.3 and 53.4%, for the […]