Características físico-químicas e perfil lipídico do leite de cabras mestiças Moxotó alimentadas com dietas suplementadas com óleo de semente de algodão ou de girassol Physico-chemical characteristics and fatty acid profile of milk of crossbred Moxotó goats supplemented with cottonseed or sunflower oil

O efeito da suplementação com óleos de algodão e de girassol sobre a composição do leite foi testado em cabras mestiças Moxotó alimentadas com cinco dietas: controle, sem adição de óleo; adição de óleo de algodão a 3%; óleo de algodão a 5%; óleo de girassol a 3%; e óleo de girassol a 5% (%MS). Foram utilizadas dez cabras em lactação, confinadas, distribuídas em dois quadrados latinos (5 &times; 5), com 12 dias de adaptação e três dias de coleta em cada período. A suplementação com óleo de algodão a 5% MS elevou o teor de gordura (4,99%) e de extrato seco total (13,48%) do leite, mas não alterou a concentração dos demais componentes. A adição de 5% de óleo de girassol, no entanto, promoveu aumento na concentração do ácido linolênico (C18:3). A adição de óleo vegetal em dietas para cabras nativas promoveu aumento do percentual de gordura no leite e aumento nos teores de ácidos graxos insaturados resultando em um produto de melhor qualidade para a saúde humana.<br>The effects of cottonseed and sunflower oil supplementation on milk composition were tested using crossbred Moxotó goats. Experimental diets were as follows: control, without addition of oil; addition of 3% cottonseed oil; 5% cottonseed oil; 3% sunflower oil and 5% sunflower oil (%DM). Ten confined lactating goats were allotted to a double Latin square experimental design (5 &times; 5). Each period was comprised by 12 days of adaptation to the diet and three days of sampling in each period. Cottonseed oil supplementation at 5 %DM increased the fat content (4.99%) and the total solid (13.48%) of milk. However, the addition of sunflower oil at 5% promoted an increase in the linolenic acid (C18:3) concentrations. Therefore, the vegetal oil addition in diets for native goats promoted an increase in the percentage of milk fat and in unsaturated fatty acid contents in milk, resulting in a product of better quality for the human health

Development and reproductive performance of beef heifers supplemented with brown rice meal and/or protected fat on temperate grasslands

The response of energy supplementation was evaluated on the development and reproductive performance of beef heifers on temperate grasslands. Twenty-eight Charolais × Nellore heifers, with initial average age of 18 months and initial live weight of 274.9 kg were utilized. The animals were maintained on oat + ryegrass pasture and distributed in the following treatments: no supplementation (NS): heifers kept exclusively on pasture; MEG: supplementation with protected fat Megalac®; BRM: supplementation with brown rice meal; BRM+MEG: supplementation with BRM + protected fat. The average final weight of the heifers was of 403.4 kg and corresponded to 89.5% of the adult weight. The body condition of heifers increased linearly with daily increase of 0.012 points, correlating positively with the final weight. There was interaction between treatment and period for average daily weight gain. The highest daily weight gain, 1.395 kg, occurred in the first period when the animals were supplemented with BRM+MEG. In the last period, the NS animals presented the lowest daily weight gain, 0.888 kg. Supplementation with brown rice meal and/or protected fat does not interfere in the intake of pasture by heifers or increase the total intake of dry matter, not changing, therefore, the average daily weight gain at the end of the period of grazing. The daily weight gain does not change during supplementation. The use of temperate pasture with and without supplementation promotes the proper development of the structure and reproductive tract of heifers, benefiting the animal performance indexes in the first mating at 25-27 months of age