Dried brewers’ grain as a replacement for soybean meal on nutrient digestibility and rumen parameters of cattle

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of replacing soybean meal with dried brewers’ grains (DBG) in intake and digestibility of the nutrients and the ruminal parameters of cattle. Four ruminal cannulated Jersey oxen with initial body weight of 662.7 ± 85.5 kg were distributed in a 4x4 Latin square design. The treatments were levels of 0%, 33%, 66% and 100% DBG replacing soybean meal in the diet. Dry matter (DM) and crude protein (CP) intake were not influenced by the treatments. There were linear increases in ether extract (EE), neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre (ADF) intakes because of higher levels of these nutrients in diets with DBG. Non-fibre carbohydrate (NFC) and total digestible nutrient (TDN) intake showed a decreasing linear effect. Dry matter and NFC digestibility decreased linearly with rising DBG levels, while EE, CP, NDF and ADF digestibilities were not affected. Ruminal pH was not influenced by DBG levels in the diet. There was a quadratic effect in ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) concentration in the rumen, with the maximum occurring at a level of 36.7% DGB. The replacement of soybean meal with DBG in cattle diets did not alter DM intake and ruminal pH, but reduced TDN intake.Keywords: Ammonia nitrogen, by-product, digestibility, intake, p

Effects of live weight, maturity and genotype of sheep fed a hay-based diet, on intake, digestion and live weight gain

The effects of initial live weight (LW; 18 and 30 kg), maturity (40 and 65% mature LW) and genotype on dry matter intake (DMI), LW gain (LWG), organic matter digestibility (OMD), rumen outflow rate of solid phase and urinary allantoin-N excretion were examined in 14 and 21 female lambs from the local breed Churra da Terra Quente (CH) and Ile-de-France (IF), respectively. LW at 40 and 65% maturity was 18 and 30 kg and 30 and 49 kg for CH and IF lambs, respectively. Lambs were individually fed coarsely ground meadow hay (4 cm) ad libitum supplemented with a protein concentrate over a period of 12 weeks. DMI (g kg(-1) LW0.75) and rumen outflow rate were higher and OMD lower (P < 0.01) in CH than in IF lambs. irrespective of LW or degree of maturity. Daily allantoin-N excretion (mg kg(-1) LU) was higher in CH than in IF lambs (P < 0.10) at the same degree of maturity. LWG was unaffected by LW or maturity and was higher in IF than in CH lambs (P < 0.001; 92.3 vs. 47.1 g day(-1)). Regression analysis of LWG on digestible organic matter intake suggests that energy requirements for maintenance of CH lambs are higher than for IF lambs. It is suggested that differences between breeds in digestive ability and outflow rate should be confirmed at the same level of intake. Experiments should also be designed to measure energy retention and more closely estimate energy requirements for maintenance of the two breeds

Castration methods do not affect weight gain and have diverse impacts on the welfare of water buffalo males

AbstractCastration is used to improve the management of water buffalo beef males raised under extensive conditions. However, as buffalo are considered robust animals, their welfare is often neglected, which, among other implications, may compromise their productivity. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of different castration methods on the stress level and weight gain of water buffalo males. Two experiments were performed with three treatments each. In experiment 1, serum cortisol concentrations were used as stress indicators for non-castrated (control group) or castrated males, either surgically or by burdizzo clamp. In experiment 2, blood levels of fibrinogen were used as stress indicators for males in the control group compared to those castrated by either burdizzo clamp or intratesticular injection of calcium chloride (chemical castration). In both experiments, clinical parameters and the mean daily weight gain were measured for all males. Surgical castration and chemical castration caused higher stress than castration with burdizzo, with no differences observed in weight gain among castration methods. In conclusion, for water buffalo males, castration with burdizzo clamp is preferable to surgical and chemical methods because it causes the lowest stress level in the animals

Os três porquinhos e as temporalidades da infância

Tendo como alegoria de análise das temporalidades da infância uma edição atual da clássica história Os três porquinhos, articulada com os dados coletados em minha pesquisa de doutorado sobre as relações etárias entre crianças pequenas em uma instituição de educação infantil pública, proponho a reflexão sobre a construção social das idades da infância no capitalismo em contraponto com as capacidades de sociabilidade e de produção das culturas infantis pelas meninas e meninos, menores e maiores no coletivo educativo