The objective of this paper was to compare the estimates of genetic parameters obtained by REML and method Â. Animal model single-trait analyses were performed using a data set of Nellore cattle. Statistical models included fixed effects of contemporary group (herd, year, sex and management groups at weaning and 550 days) and age of animal (covariable-linear effect), and additive genetic and residual random effects. Heritability estimates were 0.36 and 0.39 for weight at 550 days (W550); 0.27 and 0.29 for […]

A total of 192 weaning crossbred Landrace x Large White piglets weighing 6.9 kg and 23 days old was used to determine the effect of addition of flavours in simple or complex diet on the performance, blood parameters and the organs weight of piglets. A randomized block design, in a 2 x 3 factorial scheme, with two diets (simple or complex) and addition or not of two flavours (F1 and F2), was used. It was observed that the flavour addition […]

One experiment was conducted to evaluate the influence of reduction of the crude protein (CP) level of ration with amino acid supplementation on performance of castrated males swines maintained in a termoneutral environment (22ºC). A total of sixty crossbred swines (Landrace x Large White), with average initial weight of 15.0 kg and 53.1 days old, was allotted to a completely randomized design with five treatments (18, 17, 16, 15 and 14% CP), six replications and two animals per experimental unit. […]

Two hundred and sixteen crossbred gilts with high genetic potential for lean meat gain, with average initial weight of 66.3 ± 4.24 kg and final weight of 95.5 ± 2.05 kg, were used to evaluate the effect of lysine levels on animals performance in the finishing phase. A randomized block design was used with four treatments, 27 replicates and two animals per experimental unit. Treatments were constituted of isoenergy diets, with different levels of total lysine (0.80, 0.90, 1.00, and […]

An experiment was carried out to evaluate high dietary levels of organic and inorganic Cu, respectively, cupric citrate (C6H4Cu2O7 ) and Cu sulfate (CuSO4.5H2O) as growth promoters of weanling pigs fed complex diet. Eighty crossbred weanling pigs (40 castrated males and 40 females), averaging 6.85 kg initial weight and 21 ± 2 days of age, were assigned to five treatments. The treatments consisted in a basal diet (control) of corn, soybean meal, lactose, dried skim milk and spray dried porcine […]

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of different commercial strain (conformation versus conventional) on performance, carcass yield and parts, physical determinations (thickness, width and length of breast fillet) and breast meat quality (weight loss for cooking, shear force and pH) in broilers with 35, 42 and 49 days of age. Two thousand and four hundred day-old chicks were assigned to a randomized 5×2 factorial design, with five strains (conformation: A, B and C; and conventional D […]

The aim of this experiment was to verify the sodium levels and electrolyte balance of diets for commercial laying hens on the first and second production periods. Two experiments with 112 days each, divided in four periods of 28 days, were carried out. One hundred and sixty Lohmann laying hens (25 weeks old) and 160 Babckok forced molting laying hens (80 weeks old), in the first and second experiments, respectively, were used. The laying hens were assigned to a completely […]

Two assays were performed to evaluate the apparent digestibility of nutrients in horses diets, using the total collection of feces method and the markers chromic oxide, indigestible acid detergent fiber (iADF), indigestible neutral detergent fiber (iNDF), indigestible cellulose (iCEL), lignin (LIG), and insoluble acid detergent ashes (ADTA), as markers. In the first assay, five crossbred colts were used, fed five diets with different levels of crude protein, maintaining the relationship 50:50 concentrate to forage. The chromic oxide was used as […]

Sixty crossbred piglets, with average initial weight of 15.1 ± 0.50 kg and 56 ± 3.6 days old were used to evaluate the dietary crude protein levels, for barrows in the initial growing phase, under low temperature environment (15ºC). The animals were allotted to a randomized blocks design, with five treatments, six replications and two animals per experimental unit. The treatments consisted of diets with 17.0, 18.0, 19.0, 20.0, and 21.0% crude protein (CP). The dietary crude protein levels affected […]

Three trials were carried out with 336 laying hens, aging 24 weeks and after second forced molt, caged in commercial conditions (550 cm2/bird) to evaluate the use of bulb garlic (5 kg/t), probiotic (300 g/t) and virginiamycin (20 g/t) as additives in laying hens diet before, during and after the induced forced molt stress (FM). A completely randomized design, with seven replicates of six brids each, was used. The treatments consisted of a control diet (CD) supplemented with bulb garlic […]