The objectives of this experiment were to determine the apparent absorption, to estimate the endogenous fecal losses and the true absorption of Mg and to determine the ad libitum drinking water ingestion and the Mg serum concentration for Anglonubian (AN) and Saanen (SN) goat breeds. Twelve kids, six of each breed, with average 19.8 kg LW, were used. Semipurified diets (low Mg content) based on cracked rice, corn gluten meal and cellulose were supplemented with MgO to obtain the levels […]

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of cottonseed meal and cotton seed flour on the reproductive behavior and on the testis activity of Nile tilapia broodstock. Twenty-five fishes were fed diets containing 0, 2, 4 and 6% ground cottonseed flour and 24% cottonseed meal (CSM). The reproductive behavior of the fishes was daily observed and the nest construction, courtship and spawning were evaluated. At 90 days, the males gonads were microscopically evaluated. The control group (soybean meal) showed […]

This experiment was carried out to compare the productive performance of commercial laying hens after being under different methods of induced molting. Ninety-six Hy-Line white laying hens, 85 weeks of age were allotted to a randomized block design with four treatments. The treatments were: T1 – the conventional method consisted of feed withdrawal during the 12 first days of the experiment; T2 – diet of high-zinc content; T3 – low-energy diet, fed limited daily portions (45 g per hen per […]

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of the early-life qualitative feed restriction on the performance, gastrintestinal tract characteristics and carcass of broilers. A total of 975 one-d-old “Ross” broiler chicks, 15 plots with 30 males each and 15 plots with 35 females each, was allotted to a completely randomized design in a 5 x 2 (restriction forms x sex) factorial arrangement, with three replicates per treatment. The treatments were: 1- no dilution (control); 2 – dilution […]

This study was carried out to study the combining ability of parental broiler lines using factor analysis of production traits. The single crosses (partial diallel) among the male lines of group 1 (LL, TL, ZL, TT, LT, ZT, ZZ, LZ, and TL) and female lines of group 2 (PP, KP, VP, KK, PK, VK, VV, PV, and KV). A completely randomized blocks design, with three blocks, 81 single crosses and nine females per cross was used. The production traits, were […]

The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the carcass and meat characteristics of Hereford (H), 5/8 H 3/8 Nellore (N), 1/2 H 1/2 N and 1/4 H 3/4 N steers, feedlot finished, from 20 to 24 months of age. Twenty-four steers randomly taken from the same herd were used. The diet contained, in a dry matter basis, 12.7% of crude protein and 57.5:42.5% forage:concentrate ratio. The forage was composed by corn silage + sugar cane (relation 1:1). The slaughter […]

The objective of this work was to evaluate the feeding behavior, dry matter intake, and performance in goats fed hays of ramie (Boehemeria nivea G.), soybean (Neonotonia wightii) and elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum., cv. napier), offered to allow an excess of 30 or 60%, above the intake measured in the previous day. Thirty-six goats were allotted to a completely randomized design with six treatments in a factorial arrangement of 3 x 2 (hay and level of offer). The mean […]

The objective of this work was to calculate adjustment factors for milk and fat yield according to the cow age and calving season, for Holstein breeds herds from Minas Gerais State. The statistical analyses were made by means of mixed models, using Restricted Maximum Likelihood in an animal model. The fixed effects were herd-year, genetic composition and age classes-calving season, and as random effects of animal (cow, sire and dam) and error terms. Records used in the analysis were 49,666 […]

This trial was carried out, from October 1993 until June 1995, to evaluate the chemical composition and dry matter digestibility of dwarf elephantgrass at plant heights of 80 and 120 cm under five nitrogen rates. The experimental design was completely randomized with a split split plot arrangement, with four replicates, where the clipping factors, and nitrogen doses (0, 25, 50, 100kg/ha•clipping, in the first year, and 0, 75 and 100 kg ha•clipping, in the second year, and plant heights (80 and […]

The objective of this work was to evaluate diets fed from 14 to 42 days of age on piglets performance and carcass composition. Twenty-eight crossbred litters (Landrace x Large White) were full fed four types of diets: two simple and two complex. In the weaning time, at 21 days of age, four animals (two barrows and two gilts) were transferred to a nursery and allotted to metallic cages, where they continued to be full fed with diets. Eight-four animals, 21 […]