Thirty six 7/8 Ile de France 1/8 Polwarth (18 males and 18 females) lambs averaging 17.90 ± 1.27 kg of body weigh (BW) were randomly assigned to one of the following three diets: 1) control diet; 2) SRPAD – 8% freshwater fish (Oreochromis niloticus) residue silage; or 3) SRPAM – 8% sea fish (Lophius gastrophisus) residue silage. The fish residue silages partially replaced soybean meal in the diet; corn silage (40% DM basis) was used as the sole forage source. […]

The objective of this trial was to evaluate performance, thermal comfort and behavior of crossbred Holstein x Zebu dairy calves kept in different housing systems during the rainy season (December to April). Twenty-four calves were raised from birth to 70 days of age in one of the following housing systems: hutches; shadecloth; or no shelter. Rectal temperature and respiratory rate measurements were taken twice a day (8:00 AM and 3:00 PM) when calves were 1, 4 and 9 weeks old. […]

The objective of this experiment was to use n-alkane to estimate accurately and precisely the botanical composition of dietary forage in sheep fed different proportions of Arachis pintoi Koprov & Gregory cv. Amarillo and Brachiaria decumbens Stapf (0, 15, 30, 45 e 60% of Arachis pintoi). Twenty lambs were used in a completely randomized design with 10 days for diet adaptation and 5 days for fecal collection. Both fecal composites and hay samples were analyzed for n-alkane concentration. Dietary forage […]

The research aimed to evaluate the use of additives on the nutritional value of the sugarcane silage. Treatments were expressed by additive type and amount added to the sugarcane silage at ensiling (fresh matter basis), as follows: urea 1.5%; urea 0.5% and corn meal 4%; urea 0.5% and dehydrated cassava 4%; starea 1.5%; sugar cane only. Sugarcane variety RB-72454, at 18 months of regrowth was stored for 180 days in experimental concrete silos (500 kg capacity). An in vivo digestibility […]

The objective of this trial was to evaluate performance and nutrient intake and digestibility in feedlot Morada Nova hair sheep fed increasing levels of dietary concentrate. Thirty-two castratated Morada Nova sheep averaging 8.11 ± 1.15 months of age and 19.67 ± 2.97 kg of body weight (BW) at the beginning of the study were used in this trial. Animals were slaughtered with 30.0 kg of BW and fed diets with the following concentrate levels: 20, 40, 60 or 80%. A […]

The objectives of this trial were to evaluate the effect of replacing corn meal with coffee hulls or soyhulls on intake and apparent digestibility of nutrients, milk yield and composition, and body weight (BW) change in lactating dairy cows. Twelve purebred and crossbred Holstein cows were assigned to three replicated 4 ´ 4 Latin squares. Diets were isonitrogeneous (14% of CP, DM basis) and control diet contained 60% corn silage plus 40%concentrate. Three sugarcane based diets with 60% concentrate were […]

The objective of this trial was to investigate the effects of feeding corn with different particle size (coarse vs. fine grinding) plus dried citrus pulp or soyhulls on performance of lactating dairy cows. Thirty-two mid lactating Holstein cows averaging 160 days in milk were randomly assigned to eight replicated 4 x 4 Latin squares with a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Animals were fed total mixed rations containing corn silage as the sole forage source. Each experimental period […]

Data from 359 Holstein and 54 Jersey cows (total of 1359 observations) collected in commercial herds in the northeast of Brazil were used to evaluate six environmental stress indexes. The selection criterion was the correlation between the index value with the rectal temperature (RT) and the respiratory rate (RR) of cows. Both Temperature-Humidity Index (THI) and Black Globe-Humidity Index (BGHI) had the lowest correlations with animal RT and RR. The selected indexes were the Equivalent Temperature Index (r = 0.293 […]

Twelve Nellore cattle fitted with ruminal and duodenal cannulas were used to investigate the effects of increasing dietary crude protein level (7, 10, 13, and 15%) on intake, ruminal and total tract digestibility of nutrients, microbial protein synthesis, degradabilities of corn silage, corn starch, and cottonseed meal, and ruminal metabolism. Animals were blocked by sexual category (heifers, bulls and steers averaging 254.8, 285.1, and 265.6 kg of body weight, respectively) and then assigned to one out of three Latin squares. […]

The objective of this trial was to investigate the effects of increasing dietary crude protein levels on N balance and metabolizable protein requirements for maintenance in Nellore heifers, bulls and steers averaging 16 months of age and body weight of 254.8, 285.1, and 265.6 kg, respectively. Animals were blocked by sexual category (heifers, bulls and steers) and randomly assigned to treatments in three replicated 4 x 4 Latin squares. Diets contained the following CP levels: 7, 10, 13, and 15%. […]