Linear correlations between feed intake and ingestive behavior of feedlot lambs

The objective of this study was to evaluate linear correlations between feed intake and ingestive behavior of feedlot lambs. Were used ten castrated male Santa Inês sheep with a body weight of 20 ± 4.38 kg, at four months of age. The experiment lasted 50 days, with five 10-d periods, in which an evaluation of feed intake and ingestive behavior was undertaken per period, totaling 50 replicates. The diet was composed of concentrate ingredients only. The analyses were performed by Pearson’s linear correlations and the t test, and means were considered significant when P≤0.05. Intake showed positive correlations (P≤0.05) with the times spent feeding and ruminating and total chewing time, and a negative correlation (P≤0.05) with other activities. Positive correlations were found between the number of feeding periods, number of other activities and the time per rumination period with intake (P≤0.05). A negative correlation was found between the feed efficiency of dry matter and the intake, as well as the other nutrients (P≤0.05). The behavioral characteristics related to feed intake appear to be correlated, which allows for inferences through the study of these variables. The activities related to nutrient intake, with respect to time and efficiency, can be expressed directly through the animal behavior.The objective of this study was to evaluate linear correlations between feed intake and ingestive behavior of feedlot lambs. Were used ten castrated male Santa Inês sheep with a body weight of 20 ± 4.38 kg, at four months of age. The experiment lasted 50 days, with five 10-d periods, in which an evaluation of feed intake and ingestive behavior was undertaken per period, totaling 50 replicates. The diet was composed of concentrate ingredients only. The analyses were performed by Pearson’s linear correlations and the t test, and means were considered significant when P≤0.05. Intake showed positive correlations (P≤0.05) with the times spent feeding and ruminating and total chewing time, and a negative correlation (P≤0.05) with other activities. Positive correlations were found between the number of feeding periods, number of other activities and the time per rumination period with intake (P≤0.05). A negative correlation was found between the feed efficiency of dry matter and the intake, as well as the other nutrients (P≤0.05). The behavioral characteristics related to feed intake appear to be correlated, which allows for inferences through the study of these variables. The activities related to nutrient intake, with respect to time and efficiency, can be expressed directly through the animal behavior

Linear correlations between feed intake and ingestive behavior of feedlot lambs

The objective of this study was to evaluate linear correlations between feed intake and ingestive behavior of feedlot lambs. Were used ten castrated male Santa Inês sheep with a body weight of 20 ± 4.38 kg, at four months of age. The experiment lasted 50 days, with five 10-d periods, in which an evaluation of feed intake and ingestive behavior was undertaken per period, totaling 50 replicates. The diet was composed of concentrate ingredients only. The analyses were performed by Pearson’s linear correlations and the t test, and means were considered significant when P≤0.05. Intake showed positive correlations (P≤0.05) with the times spent feeding and ruminating and total chewing time, and a negative correlation (P≤0.05) with other activities. Positive correlations were found between the number of feeding periods, number of other activities and the time per rumination period with intake (P≤0.05). A negative correlation was found between the feed efficiency of dry matter and the intake, as well as the other nutrients (P≤0.05). The behavioral characteristics related to feed intake appear to be correlated, which allows for inferences through the study of these variables. The activities related to nutrient intake, with respect to time and efficiency, can be expressed directly through the animal behavior

Análise econômica da adição de níveis crescentes de concentrado em dietas para vacas leiteiras mestiças alimentadas com cana-de-açúcar

Dezesseis vacas mestiças Holandês × Zebu (grau de sangue variando de ½ a ¾ Holandês × Zebu) foram distribuídas segundo quatro quadrados latinos 4 × 4 para se avaliar a viabilidade econômica do aumento do nível de concentrado na dieta. As vacas de terceira ou quarta lactação, com produção anterior entre 2.500 e 3.000 kg, ajustada para 300 dias, foram manejados a pasto na época das águas, e com 110 dias de lactação no início do período experimental. Com os preços do leite e concentrado praticados no momento do estudo, não é interessante a utilização de concentrado na dieta de vacas leiteiras alimentadas com cana-de-açúcar. Contudo, considerando os aspectos produtivo e econômico conjuntamente, e os preços de R$0,70 e R$ 0,50 para o leite e o concentrado, respectivamente, a utilização de 24% de concentrado na dieta é a opção mais interessante para vacas leiteiras alimentadas com cana-de-açúcar

Intervalos de observações com diferentes escalas de tempo no comportamento ingestivo de vacas leiteiras confinadas Intervals between observations at different time scales in the feeding behavior of dairy confined cows

Objetivou-se analisar as diferentes escalas de tempo para determinar qual o intervalo mais adequado no estudo do comportamento ingestivo de vacas leiteiras confinadas. O experimento foi conduzido na fazenda Água Azul, Município de Macarani-Bahia, no período de outubro a novembro de 2005. Foram utilizadas 12 vacas mestiças Holandês, apresentando, em média, 478,5  15,89kg de peso corporal. Os tratamentos do presente estudo foram os intervalos (cinco, 10; 15; 20 e 30 minutos), observados durante o comportamento ingestivo. A observação do comportamento ocorreu no penúltimo dia de cada período de 12 dias durante 24 horas. Procedeu-se a análise de variância e a aplicação do teste de Dunnett, adotando-se 0,05 como nível crítico de probabilidade. Não houve efeito significativo das escalas de registro do tempo de alimentação, ruminação, ócio e para as eficiências de alimentação e ruminação. Para as variáveis dos números de períodos de alimentação, ruminação e ócio e os tempos por período de alimentação, ruminação e ócio, as escalas de 10, 15, 20 e 30 minutos foram diferentes quando comparadas com o intervalo de observação de cinco minutos. As coletas totais dos tempos de alimentação ruminação e ócio, e as eficiências de alimentação e ruminação nos diferentes nutrientes podem ser realizadas com intervalo de observação de até 30 minutos. Para a discretização das séries temporais do comportamento ingestivo recomenda-se a escala de cinco minutos entre as observações.<br>This study aimed to analyze different time scales to determine the most appropriate interval in the study of ingestive behavior of confined dairy cows. The experiment was conducted at the farm Blue Water, city of Macarani-Bahia, in the period from October to November 2005. 12 crossbred Holstein cows were used, with an average body weight of 478.5  15.89kg. The treatments of this study were the intervals (five; 10; 15; 20 and 30 minutes), observed during ingestive behavior. Behavior observations occurred on the second to last day of each period of 15 days data collection for 24 hours. There has been analysis of variance and Dunnett test application, adopting 0.05 as the critical level of probability. There was no significant effect of record scales of time spent eating, ruminating, idling and efficiencies of feeding and rumination. For the variables of the numbers of periods of eating, ruminating and idle and times per period of feeding, ruminating and resting, the ranges of 10, 15, 20 and 30 minutes were different when compared with the interval of five minutes of observation. Total collection of times of feeding ruminating and idling, and efficiencies of feeding and ruminating on the different nutrients can be performed with an interval of observation of up to 30 minutes. For the discretization of the time series of ingestive behavior, it is recommended the scale of five minutes between observations

Comportamento ingestivo de novilhas leiteiras alimentadas com níveis de farelo de cacau (Theobroma cacao) na dieta

Objetivou-se avaliar o comportamento ingestivo de novilhas leiteiras alimentadas com níveis de farelo de cacau (0; 7; 14 e 21%). Foram utilizadas 20 novilhas leiteiras ¾ Gir x ¼ Holandês, com peso corporal inicial médio de 165,5 ± 35,8kg. Os animais foram distribuídos em delineamento inteiramente casualizado, com quatro tratamentos e cinco repetições, e receberam dietas compostas de silagem de capim elefante como volumoso e concentrado com níveis crescentes de inclusão de farelo de cacau. Foram avaliados os consumos, assim como suas eficiências de alimentação e ruminação. Para determinação do comportamento ingestivo, as novilhas foram submetidas, no penúltimo dia do período experimental, à observação visual, a cada cinco minutos, durante 24 horas. Os consumos de matéria seca, de fibra em detergente neutro, de carboidratos não fibrosos e de nutrientes digestíveis totais não foram influenciados pelos níveis de inclusão de farelo de cacau na dieta. Os tempos gastos em alimentação, ruminação e ócio não diferiram entre os tratamentos, assim como o número de períodos e os tempos gastos em cada período das respectivas atividades. O tempo gasto por bolo ruminado, o número de mastigações por bolo, o número de bolos ruminados por dia e o tempo de mastigação total não sofreram efeito das dietas. A eficiência de alimentação dos carboidratos não fibrosos teve efeito linear crescente, à medida que foi incluso o farelo de cacau na dieta. A inclusão de até 21% de farelo de cacau na dieta total não altera o comportamento ingestivo de novilhas leiteiras