ABSTRACT – This experiment was conducted in an elephant grass pasture from EMBRAPA/CNPGL to compare methods for estimating forage availability, as well as to evaluate the accuracy of three observers in the evaluations. The cutting, plant height, ground cover and height x ground cover methods, multiple regression analysis and the visual comparative yield were compared with the total productions in respective half of evaluated area. The visual comparative yield method always provided the highest coefficients of determination of estimating equations, […]

ABSTRACT – The effect of the combination of energy sources (corn or cassava hull) and protein sources (cottonseed meal or yeast + meat and bone meal) in four diets, using corn silage as forage source, on the performance and intake of DM, CP, OM, ME, ADF, NDF, starch, Ca and P, using heifers. The effect of the addition salt or mineralized salt was also evaluated. A total of 28 heifers with average 303 kg LW and 18 months of age, […]

ABSTRACT – The objective of the experiment was to evaluate the dynamics, forage yield and quality of the mixtures of oat + ryegrass (MOR), triticale + ryegrass (MTR), rye + ryegrass (MRR) in continuous grazing. Beef heifers with seven months of age and initial 140 kg LW were used. The sowing was broadcast at 04/12/96, using 85 kg/ha of oat, 170 kg/ha of triticale, 140 kg/ha of rye and 30 kg/ha of ryegrass, in the respective mixtures. The area was […]

ABSTRACT – This experiment was carried out in two phases to study the effect of different heating systems on the productive and bioeconomical performances in broilers. Five hundred one-day broiler chicks, 50% male and 50% female, in each protected circle, were allotted to a randomized block design with seven treatments and four blocks. The heating systems were: fiber glass plate without plastic sheet cover, fiber glass plate with plastic sheet cover; built-in floor resistance without plastic sheet cover, built-in floor […]

ABSTRACT – The present work was conducted to evaluate the effect of constant thermal environment on the performance and physiological traits of barrows from 30 to 60 kg LW. A total of 100 animals were allotted to a randomized block design, with five treatments (3100, 3250, 3400, 3550 and 3700 kcal of DE/kg of diet), five replicates and two animals per experimental unit. Weight gain, intakes of diet, protein and energy and feed:gain ratio and the efficiencies of protein and […]

ABSTRACT – The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of a commercial bacterial inoculant containing Lactobacillus plantarum, Streptococcus faecium and Pediococcus acidactili on the quality and dry matter (DM) loss of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) during the ensilage process. The treatments were constituted of two types dual propose sorghum silage harvested at the dough stage: without (control) and with inoculant; three positions in each silo (front, middle and back regions) corresponding to three periods of collection […]

ABSTRACT – The degree of a simple linear correlation among the in vitro dry matter disappearance (IVDMD) and chemical composition of the leaf blades and sheath, and stems, sampled from the top and bottom tillers of dwarf elefantgrass (Pennisetum purpureum, Schumach cv. Mott, setariagrass (Setaria anceps, Stapf ex Massey cv. Kazungula) and jaraguagrass (Hyparrhenia rufa, Nees Stapf), was evaluated. A gradient pattern was observed for IVDMD, crude protein (CP) and cell wall (NDF) along the tiller profiles and difference among […]

ABSTRACT – This experiment was conducted to evaluate the use of low nutritional quality corn grain, infested with insects or fungi on the performance of broilers in starter diets. A total of 400 not sexed Ross chicks was allotted to a completely randomized design with five treatments and four replicates, according to the corn grain quality used in starter diets (1 to 28 days). The non infested corn was used in the control diet, and substituted by levels of 20 […]

ABSTRACT – The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the substitution of corn by cassava bagasse in the concentrate on dry matter, organic matter and crude protein intake in growing cattle. Sixteen crossbred bulls were allotted to a completely randomized block design, in two periods. Four types of concentrate were tested in association with an ad libitum allowance of oat/ryegrass hay (Avena strigosa, L.; Lolium multiflorum, L.)and an average concentrate supplementation of .83% LW. The concentrates […]

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of diets with different concentrate levels on feeding behavior of dairy goats. Eighteen native Brazilian dairy goats were allotted to a completely randomized design with three treatments and six replicates. Three different diets in a total mixed diet were ad libitum feed to the animals, with variation in forage:concentrate ratio of 62:38, 52:48, to 42:58 as fed. The experiment period was of 131 days, with 26 days for adaptation and […]