The objective of this study was to assess the effects of supplementation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae on the performance of Mangalarga Marchador equines and to verify the effectiveness of the aerobic training protocol adopted. The study used 14 Mangalarga Marchador mares in a completely randomized split-plot design. The plots were made up of two treatments (groups Probiotic and Control) and the split plots comprised two maximal-effort physical tests applied both before and after the six weeks of training. The animals’ spirometric […]

The objective of this study was to measure the response of Dekalb White laying hens to different intakes of digestible methionine + cystine (met+cys) to optimise their performance. Two hundred eighty-eight Dekalb White laying hens, ranging in age from 33 to 48 weeks, were used in the study. The birds were randomly allocated into eight treatment (levels of met+cys and the control treatment) groups with six replicates of six hens per unit. The experimental diets consisted of seven increasing levels […]

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of season, natural photoperiod, and room temperature at the housing facility on boar semen characteristics in Uruguay (34º66’S; 56º29’W). For this purpose, 117 ejaculates, obtained from eight adult males collected through 12 consecutive months, were assessed for sperm viability, DNA integrity, abnormalities (total, primary, and secondary), ejaculate volume, and sperm concentration. Viability, total and primary abnormalities, volume, and sperm concentration were affected by season. Sperm viability, volume, and sperm concentration […]

Polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) are a family of essential fatty acids with many biological activities. These fatty acids are incorporated into cell membranes, changing their structural and functional characteristics. N-3 PUFA can act by modulating inflammatory responses at different levels. Omega-3 PUFA can be converted in the body to longer-chain n-3 PUFA at a limited rate and are differently converted in body systems. It appears that when specific longer-chain n-3 PUFA are desired these need to be supplemented […]

The objective of this study was to evaluate the quality of raw milk in different production systems and its variation throughout the year. The data were collected from 943 dairy farms in the South, Central-West and Central regions of the state of Minas Gerais, and in Vale do Paraíba, in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The data were collected in the period from January 2009 to September 2011, in a total of 18,206 samples. The properties were divided into […]

The objective of this study was to evaluate nutrient intake, performance, estimated methane production and carcass characteristics of steers fed diets containing three different levels of soybean grain: 0, 120 and 230 g/kg on the dry matter (DM). The study was conducted on eighteen castrated Nellore males with an average initial body weight (BW) of 370±12 kg in a completely randomized design, with three treatments and six repetitions. Intake of dry matter (DMI, kg/day) and crude protein tended to decrease […]

Two sugarcane varieties (IAC86-2480 and IAC91-2195) combined or not with soybean hulls (SH), partially replacing corn in concentrate, were included in the diet of crossbred dairy cows to evaluate the effects on feed intake, milk production, milk composition and rumen parameters of crossbred cows. The sugarcane varieties (IAC86-2480 and IAC91-2195) and concentrate compositions (with and without SH) were analyzed in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. Treatments were assigned to blocks by lactation period to evaluate feed intake, milk production […]

The objective of this experiment was to evaluate levels of replacement (0, 33, 67 and 100%) of corn silage with fresh sugarcane in dairy-goat diets on the ingestive behavior of these animals. Eight lactating Alpine goats (after lactation peak) with a live weight of 51.95±3.29 kg were distributed into two 4 × 4 Latin squares according to their milk production. Animals were placed in individual pens where they received diets ad libitum, twice a day, with a roughage:concentrate ratio of […]

In the present study we measured serum glucose, leptin, total cholesterol and total protein concentrations in repeat breeder cows and compared them with fertile cows. For this aim, 20 repeat breeder cows and 20 fertile cows were used as material. Repeat breeder cows were found to have lower levels of leptin and glucose as compared with fertile ones. No significant differences in total cholesterol and total protein levels were observed between the two groups. No significant correlation of leptin with […]

The objective of this study was to calculate economic values for milk (MY), protein (PY) and fat productions (FY) and somatic cell count (SCC) which could be used to compose an economic index to rank animals involved in an international genetic evaluation program of Holstein cattle used in the commercial dairy population in Brazil. The main milk production systems (MPS) prevailing in the South and Southeast were defined based on the feeding management and production level of herds. To calculate […]