Characterization of Awassi lamb fattening systems: a Syrian case study

Intensive lamb fattening systems are evolving in developing Middle Eastern countries due to high demand for lambs at favorable prices; however, little is known about their characteristics and constraints. A survey was conducted in Syria involving 241 farmers to characterize the fattening production systems and main constraints, with emphasis on feeding, management, labor, and marketing. Most farmers (90%) considered the income from fattening to be from medium to high, and 57% expressed that lamb fattening along with alternative income sources compose the family's livelihood strategies. Fattening systems offer employment to family members. Market price was the main decision factor to buy and sell lambs, but this was only part of various marketing aspects. Male lambs usually bought at markets at the mean age of 4 months (mean weight of 31 kg) are sold after fattening at a 50–60 kg weight range. The average yearly fattening cycle was 2.7 batches, and the average number of lambs per batch was 232. For 65% (n = 241) of the farmers the major constraint to fattening was feeding cost, and for about a half of farmers (51%, n = 241), disease outbreaks and prices for veterinarian services constituted the second important constraint. Research on least-cost fattening diets and curbing disease problems to increase farmer's income margins is needed. It is expected that due to existing commonalities, the information emerging from this study regarding major constraints to Awassi lamb fattening systems could be useful for an across-synthesis on Awassi fattening production in the regionFil: Wiedemann Hartwell, Birgitte. International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas; Siria. University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences. Department of Sustainable Agricultural Systems. Division of Livestock Sciences; Austria. Fredensborg; DinamarcaFil: Iñiguez, Luis. International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas; SiriaFil: Mueller, Joaquin Pablo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche; ArgentinaFil: Wurzinger, Maria. University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences. Department of Sustainable Agricultural Systems. Division of Livestock Sciences; AustriaFil: Knaus, W.F. University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences. Department of Sustainable Agricultural Systems. Division of Livestock Sciences; Austri

Feed intake and growth performance of goats supplemented with soy waste

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of supplemental feeding of soy waste on the feed intake and growth rate of goats. Twenty male crossbred (Boer x local) goats were assigned to two isonitrogenous diet groups: one of commercial pellet and the other of soy waste. The commercial pellet (1.0%) and soy waste (0.8%) were provided on the dry matter basis of body weight (BW) per day, to the respective group of each diet. The soy waste group had lower daily intakes of total dry matter (0.79 vs. 0.88 kg) and organic matter (665.71 vs. 790.44 g) than the group fed pellet; however, the differences on daily intakes for grass (0.62 vs. 0.64 kg), crude protein (96.81 vs. 96.83 g), and neutral detergent fibre (483.70 vs. 499.86 g) were not significant. No differences were observed between groups for BW gain. The feed conversion ratio and feed cost per kilogram of BW gain were lower for the group fed soy waste than for the one fed pellet. Goats fed supplemental soy waste have a lower total dry matter intake, feed conversion ratio, and feed cost per kilogram of body weight gain than those fed commercial pellets

Suplementação energética e proteica de um volumoso de baixa qualidade pela técnica de produção cumulativa de gás in vitro Energy and protein supplementation of a low quality roughage by the in vitro gas cumulative production technique

Um experimento foi conduzido utilizando-se a técnica semiautomática de produção cumulativa de gás in vitro com o objetivo de avaliar a combinação da suplementação energética com a proteica em dietas à base de um volumoso de baixa qualidade, feno de capim-tifton (Cynodon dactylon L.), com 7,69% de proteína bruta, 70,34% de fibra em detergente neutro e 57,98% de digestibilidade in vitro da matéria orgânica. Foram avaliadas duas fontes de proteína degradável no rúmen (ureia ou proteína isolada de soja); quatro níveis de grão de milho moído (0, 20, 40 e 60%) e quatro níveis suplementares de proteína degradável no rúmen (0; 2,8; 5,6 e 8,4%) em delineamento completamente casualizado em um fatorial 2 × 4 × 4. A digestibilidade in vitro da matéria orgânica aumentou linearmente em resposta à inclusão de milho com inclinação maior utilizando proteína isolada de soja. O fator de partição foi superior com proteína isolada de soja e foi detectado aumento linear em resposta ao aumento da proteína degradável com 20% de milho. A produção máxima de gás da fração de rápida (A) e de lenta (D) degradação aumentou linearmente em resposta à inclusão de milho, com proteína isolada de soja, e quadraticamente com ureia. A taxa de degradação de A aumentou com a inclusão de até 20% de milho e a taxa de degradação de D foi maior com ureia. O lag-time de A aumentou linearmente em resposta a inclusão de milho e no lag-time de D foi observada diminuição com até 20% de milho sem alterações em níveis superiores. A suplementação com até 60% de milho moído foi benéfica para a digestibilidade de dietas com volumoso de baixa qualidade. A associação entre energia e proteína foi benéfica em alguns parâmetros estudados. A ureia gerou melhores respostas em níveis moderados de grão de milho moído.<br>It was conducted an experiment using the semi-automatic in vitro cumulative gas production with the objective of evaluating the combination of energy and protein supplementations in diets based on low quality roughage, Tifton hay (Cynodon dactylon L.), with 7.69% of crude protein; 70.34% of neutral detergent fiber and 57.98% of organic matter in vitro digestibility. It was evaluated two sources of rumen degradable protein (urea or isolated soybean protein); four levels of ground corn grain (0, 20, 40 and 60%) and four supplementary levels of rumen degradable protein (0; 2.8; 5.6 and 8.4%) in complete random design in a 2 × 4 × 4 factorial arrangement. The organic matter in vitro digestibility increased linearly in response to grain corn inclusion with a greater slope by using isolated soybean protein. The partitioning factor was higher with isolated soybean protein and it was detected a linear increase in response to increasing rumen degradable protein with 20% of grain corn. The maximum gas production of the fraction of fast (A) and slow (D) degradation increased linearly in response to the grain corn inclusion, with isolated soybean protein, and it quadratically increased with urea. The A degradation rate was increased with inclusion of up to 20% of grain corn and the degradation rate of D was higher with urea. The A lag-time increased linearly with the inclusion of grain corn and in the D lag-time it was observed a decrease with up to 20% of grain corn unchanged at high levels. The supplementation with up to 60% of grain corn was beneficial to digestibility of diets with low quality roughage. The association between energy and protein supplementation was positive in some studied parameters. Urea gave better responses at moderate levels of ground grain corn

Substituição total do farelo de soja por uréia ou amiréia, em dietas com alto teor de concentrado, sobre a amônia ruminal, os parâmetros sangüíneos e o metabolismo do nitrogênio em bovinos de corte Total replacement of soybean meal by urea or starea in high grain diets on nitrogen metabolism, ruminal ammonia-N concentration and blood parameters in beef cattle

Seis novilhos da raça Nelore, não castrados, com peso médio inicial de 420 kg, distribuídos em delineamento em quadrado latino 3x3 duplicado, foram utilizados para avaliar a substituição total de uma fonte de proteína verdadeira (farelo de soja), em uma dieta deficiente em proteína degradável no rúmen (PDR), por uréia ou amiréia (fontes de nitrogênio não protéico), ambas em uma dieta adequada em PDR. As dietas foram isoprotéicas (13,0%) utilizando-se o bagaço de cana-de-açúcar in natura (BIN) como única fonte de volumoso (20% da MS). Foram avaliados: a concentração de amônia ruminal, nitrogênio uréico plasmático, glicose plasmática e o metabolismo do nitrogênio. Os tratamentos foram: 1) farelo de soja (FS); 2) uréia e 3) amiréia (A-150S). A concentração de nitrogênio amoniacal no fluido ruminal foi superior no tratamento com uréia, comparado ao tratamento com farelo de soja, sendo que o tratamento com amiréia não diferiu dos demais. O tratamento com amiréia apresentou maior perda de N urinário. A retenção de N (g/d e % do consumido) e o valor biológico da proteína (N retido, % do N digerido) foram superiores para o tratamento com uréia, comparado aos demais. A concentração de nitrogênio uréico no plasma e a concentração de glicose plasmática foram similares entre os tratamentos. A substituição total do farelo de soja por uréia, ajustando a PDR na dieta de bovinos de corte, demonstrou ser viável. A uréia na forma convencional apresentou vantagens em relação à amiréia.<br>Six Nellore bulls, with initial body weight of 420 kg, were assigned to a duplicated 3x3 Latin square design to evaluate the effects of replacing a true protein source (soybean meal), of high biological value, in a rumen degradable protein (RDP) deficient diet, by urea or starea (a supposedly slow release nonprotein nitrogen source), both in a RDP adjusted diet. In natura sugarcane bagasse as the only source of forage (20% of DM). Evaluated parameters were: rumen ammonia-N concentration, plasma urea-N, glucose and nitrogen balance. Experimental treatments were: 1) soybean meal (SBM); 2) urea and 3) starea (A-150S). Diets were isonitrogen (13% CP). The rumen ammonia-N concentration was higher in the treatment with urea, compared to the treatment with SBM, and starea showed no difference compared to the others. Starea had higher loss of urinary N. N retention (g/d and % of consumed) and protein biological value (N retention, % of N digestible) were higher for urea treatment, compared to the others. There was no difference on plasma urea-N and glucose concentration among treatments. Total replacement of SBM by urea, adjusting PDR in diets for growing beef cattle, demonstrated to be viable. Conventional urea showed advantage compared to starea