Impact of farm size on milk quality in the Brazilian dairy industry according to the seasons of the year

<div><p>ABSTRACT: Milk produced in Brazil has been seen as having poor quality and is associated with a large number of small farms. However, there are few studies demonstrating lower quality of milk of small properties. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the relationship between production scale on dairy farms and milk quality, how it behaviors throughout the year and set goals to improve quality according to each strata. A total of 21,917 analysis of 409 farmers conducted from January 2005 to December 2014 were used. To study the database, the properties were divided according to monthly average daily milk yield: 10 to 100; 100 to 200; 200 to 500; 500 to 1,000; and 1,000 to 5,000L of milk day-1. The data showed that dairy farming is predominantly carried out on small-scale production properties; however, the highest volumes are produced by a small number of producers. Additional data reveals that milk quality can vary because of distinct factors as nutritional condition and feed supply. Quality of the milk produced should be a matter of concern for the entire milk-production chain, because it still has problems such as high total bacterial count, high somatic cell count and low solids.</p></div

Partial Replacement of Ground Corn with Glycerol in Beef Cattle Diets: Intake, Digestibility, Performance, and Carcass Characteristics

<div><p>The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of replacing dry ground corn with crude glycerol on intake, apparent digestibility, performance, and carcass characteristics of finishing beef bulls. A completely randomized block design experiment with 25 d for adaptation and 100 d for data collection was conducted, in which 3,640 Nellore bulls (367 ± 36.8 kg; 18 ± 3 mo) were blocked by body weight and assigned to 20 pens. Bulls were randomly assigned to one of four treatments: 0, 5, 10, and 15% (dry matter basis) of crude glycerol in the diet. Initially, 20 bulls were slaughtered to serve as a reference to estimate initial empty body weight, which allowed for carcass gain calculation. Bulls were weighed at the beginning, at two-thirds, and at the end of the experiment for performance calculations. Carcass measurements were obtained by ultrasound. Fecal output was estimated using indigestible neutral detergent fiber as an internal marker. Data were analyzed using the mixed procedures in SAS 9.2 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC). Intake of dry matter, organic matter, and neutral detergent fiber decreased linearly (<i>P</i> < 0.05) with crude glycerol inclusion. However, crude glycerol levels did not affect (<i>P</i> > 0.05) intakes of crude protein, non-fiber carbohydrates, and total digestible nutrients. Digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, neutral detergent fiber, and total digestible nutrients increased quadratically (<i>P</i> < 0.05) with the inclusion of crude glycerol in the diet. Crude glycerol inclusion did not change the intake of digestible dry matter, average daily gain, final body weight, carcass gain, carcass dressing, gain-to-feed ratio, <i>Longissimus thoracis</i> muscle area, and back and rump fat thicknesses (<i>P</i> > 0.05). These results suggest that crude glycerol may be included in finishing beef diets at levels up to 15% without impairing performance and carcass characteristics.</p></div

Effect of crude glycerol inclusion on carcass characteristics of finishing beef cattle.

<p>Effect of crude glycerol inclusion on carcass characteristics of finishing beef cattle.</p

Beef cattle carcass classification by two different methods (ultrasound and abattoir).

<p>Fat cover classified as thin (less than 1 mm), scarce (1–3 mm), medium (3–6 mm), uniform (6–10 mm) and excessive (over 10 mm).</p

Ingredient and chemical composition of experimental diets.

<p>Ingredient and chemical composition of experimental diets.</p

Effect of crude glycerol inclusion on average dry matter intake during fecal collection.

<p>Effect of crude glycerol inclusion on average dry matter intake during fecal collection.</p

Effect of crude glycerol inclusion on apparent digestibility of dietary nutrients in finishing beef cattle.

<p>*Quadratic effect (P < 0.01).</p

Effect of crude glycerol inclusion on performance of finishing beef cattle.

<p>Effect of crude glycerol inclusion on performance of finishing beef cattle.</p

Ingredients and chemical composition of experimental diets and feeds.

<p>Ingredients and chemical composition of experimental diets and feeds.</p

Effects of different ingredients on total gas production (GP), metabolizable energy (ME), and enteric methane (CH₄) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) production in GP systems.

<p>Effects of different ingredients on total gas production (GP), metabolizable energy (ME), and enteric methane (CH₄) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) production in GP systems.</p