ABSTRACT This study evaluated the performance, immunology, and survival of the Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei to experimental challenge to Vibrio alginolyticus based on the use of the probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum and the combined use of probiotic and butyrate. Four different diets resulted from the addition of additives: butyrate, probiotic, butyrate + probiotic, and control (no additives). The attractiveness of the diets was assessed by the percentage of positive choices and rejections, using a dual-choice Y-maze format aquarium. The shrimps […]

ABSTRACT The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of three different intensive silvopastoral systems (ISPS) on cattle animal welfare (AW) in Colombia. The three ISPS differed in area, plant composition, and grazing periods as follows: ISPS1 – low plant diversity in paddocks of 1200 m2, with grazing period of 24 h; ISPS2 – middle plant diversity in paddocks of 600 m2, with grazing period of 12 h; and ISPS3 – high plant diversity in paddocks of 600 […]

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the chemical composition and the fermentative parameters of heart of palm waste produced from Alexander Palm, ensiled with chemical additives. Treatments consisted of silage of the sheath with or without calcium oxide. In the silage without calcium oxide, we evaluated the control silage (without additive) and the silage enriched with 5.0 g kg−1 urea (urea). In the silage with calcium oxide, we evaluated the silage enriched with 5.0 g kg−1 calcium […]

ABSTRACT The objective of this research was to characterize the nutritive value of corn silage made on intensive dairy farms and demonstrate the nutritional variations between silages located at the top and at the center of a bunker silo. Thirty-two dairy farms were visited in four Brazilian states. One corn bunker silo of each farm was chosen and samples were collected from the top and center parts. The nutritive value, fermentation end-products, and microbial counts were assessed. The predicted milk […]

ABSTRACT This study was performed to evaluate the effects of the association of different digestible arginine and phytogenic additive dietary levels on performance and health status of brown-egg layers. In this study, a total of 504 33-week-old Hisex Brown layers were distributed into a completely randomized experimental design to a 4 × 3 factorial arrangement (dietary digestible arginine levels: 880, 968, 1056, or 1144 mg/kg of feed × phytogenic additive levels: 0, 100, and 200 mg/kg of feed) with six […]

ABSTRACT The objective of the current study was to evaluate performance, blood parameters, and carcass yield of broilers supplemented with Mexican oregano oil. A total of 162 one-day-old broilers were randomly distributed into three dietary treatments: control diet (without oregano oil or antibiotic); control diet + 0.25 g kg−1 of oxytetracycline; and control diet + 0.4 g kg−1 of Mexican oregano oil. Treatment with organ oil had positive effects on body weight at 35 and 42 days. Feed intake was […]

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of four levels of fish oil on lamb performance, carcass yield, ruminal fermentation, and leptin gene expression in perirenal fat. Thirty-two lambs (24.10±2.15 kg, Katahdin × Pelibuey) were used in a completely randomized experimental design. The lambs were assigned to one of four dietary treatments (n = 8 lambs/treatment), expressed as g/kg DM basis: 0 fish oil and 300 corn; 10 fish oil and 250 corn; 20 fish oil […]

ABSTRACT The ability of discriminating carcass characteristics of different fat cover scores of heavy carcasses, according to the European (EUS) and Brazilian (BRS) classification systems, was assessed. Fifty-six lambs, weighing between 26.25 and 46.15 kg, of the Santa Inês and crossbred Santa Inês × Dorper genetic groups were evaluated. The level of adiposity was assessed through color photography of the carcasses after refrigeration according to the EUS and BRS. The carcasses were assigned to four groups by cluster analysis according […]

ABSTRACT Global warming is one of the major environmental threats facing the world in the 21st century. This fact will have a significant impact on pig production due to its direct effects on welfare, health, and performance of pigs. Besides, the effects of high temperatures will presumably become more important over the next decades due to the development of pig production in developing countries mainly located in tropical and subtropical areas, where animals are often exposed to ambient temperatures above […]

ABSTRACT Infectious disease is a major constraint for all species produced via aquaculture. The majority of farmed fish and shellfish production is based on stocks with limited or no selective breeding. Since disease resistance is almost universally heritable, there is huge potential to select for improved resistance to key diseases. This short review discusses the current methods of breeding more resistant aquaculture stocks, with success stories and current bottlenecks highlighted. The current implementation of genomic selection in breeding for disease […]