This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of phytase addition on the use of feeding ingredients for laying quails. It was used 200 female Japanese quails at 251 days of age at an average weight of 187.2 ± 6.0 g and egg production rate of 84.8%. The quails were distributed in a complete random design with four experimental diets and five repetitions of ten birds per experimental unity. The experimental diets were consisted of corn and soybean meal based […]

This paper aims to discuss the scientific progress obtained in the past ten years in genetics and plant breeding, soil fertility and plant nutrition and the importance of target sward conditions for planning, controlling and recommending management grazing of tropical grasses. In addition, progress in crop-livestock integration systems and management alternatives for mitigation of greenhouse gas emission by beef cattle production systems, two very important areas related to sustainable production systems, will also be discussed.

Three experiments were carried out to evaluate the effect of probiotic on performance and intestinal health of chicks. It was used in the first experiment 300 fertilized eggs, in which water (placebo) or probiotic solution containing 10 mg of probiotic (Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus plantarum, 106ufc/g) were inoculated. In Experiment 2, it was evaluated the efficiency of probiotic (Bacillus subtilis) supply in the diet for chicks challenged with Salmonella Enteritidis on the first day of age. In the […]

In order to evaluate diets with high nutritional density, with or without industrial amino acid supplementation, adjusted at net energy base, it was used 80 pluriparous lactating sows with the same genetic pattern, distributed in an experimental block design composed of four diets, 20 blocks, considering each sow an experimental unity. The criteria used for formation of the blocks were the weight and parity order. Diets were formulated by the combination of four levels of crude protein (18.33; 15.23; 19.63; […]

This experiment aimed at validating the relationship between digestible amino acids with the digestible lysine proposed on the basis of the ideal protein concept. This experiment used 120 lactating sows distributed in a complete randomized block design with six treatments and 20 repetitions and one sow per experimental unity. The diets were formulated based on a reference diet – which contained 19.5% of crude protein (CP) and 0.95% of digestible lysine supplemented with digestible methionine, threonine, tryptophan and/or valine to […]

The purpose of this work was to evaluate three levels of use of glycerol (0, 3, 6 and 9%) a byproduct of biodiesel production, in the diets of growing and finishing swines on performance, on carcass traits and on meat quality. A total of sixty-four Topigs pigs with 33.27 ± 4.66 kg initial body weight were distributed in 32 pens accordingly to the initial weight in a complete random block design with eight replicates (blocks) per level of glycerol. In […]

It was evaluated alternatives for analysis of performance records and ranking of Charolais x Zebu crossbred bulls. Data of weight at six ages and average daily weight gain in eight periods of 883 21/32 Charolais + 11/32 Nellore bulls in performance tests were used. The direct additive genetic values were predicted in single trait analysis using animal models with classificatory fixed effects of contemporary groups and age of dam at calving and age of animal at weighing as linear covariable, […]

It was evaluated in this work, the degree of natural infestation by external parasites in beef cattle females from three genetic groups. Countings of cattle tick (Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus), horn fly (Haematobia irritans) and beef-worm (Dermatobia hominis) were performed from July 2003 to December 2004 in females from the genetic groups Nellore (NE), Angus x Nellore (AN), Canchim x Nellore (CN), and Simmental x Nellore (SN) naturally infested. It was realized from 6 to 10 countings in each animal, totalizing […]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of some environmental effects on the litter size, using 526 records of kidding of dairy crossbreed goats. The statistical analyses were carried out through generalized linear models, using a binomial distribution function and the logistic link function. The probabilities of occurrence of multiple kidding were calculated by a model that included the effects of year and month of mating, order of kidding, age at first kidding, weight at mating, milk […]

The objective of the present study was to outline the profile of managers and inseminators involved in beef cattle artificial insemination programs to characterize the management processes involved in this activity. Additionally, by interviewing managers and inseminators, it was searched to detect particularities concerned to personal life and work that can be used to evaluate the quality of life of inseminators on farms. The open questions were analyzed by frequency of answer, after being grouped by similarity. Accordingly to the […]