Caulim e óxido crômico sob diferentes formas de administração em estudo de consumo e digestibilidade

Animal nutrition needs simple methodologies to be applied under field conditions, providing valid estimates of consumption and digestibility that can be used by both farmers and animal input industry. Thus, the search for new substances, provided in a practical way, quantified by simple and low-cost analytical methodologies, replacing external indicators (chromic oxide used as reference) would be well accepted by the scientific community. In this context, the aim of this study was to assess the supply of chorionic oxide by esophageal route or mixed in the diet and the use of kaolin as an indicator, under the same forms of administration, to estimate fecal production and digestibility using four castrated male Holstein cattle. The experimental design was a 4 × 4 Latin square design, with four experimental periods of 12 days and six-day intervals between periods. Treatments consisted of supplying chromic oxide by esophageal route (COer), kaolin by esophageal route (Kaoer), chromic oxide mixed to the diet (COdiet), and kaolin mixed to the diet (Kaodiet). The treatment Kaodiet allowed obtaining estimates of fecal production similar to the treatment COer. The treatment COdiet did not differ from the treatment COer (p > 0.05) considering all the assessed parameters, evidencing that the indicator chromic oxide can be supplied mixed directly in the diet without damaging the estimates of fecal production and digestibility. Under the studied conditions, kaolin was not an effective indicator to obtain accurate estimates of fecal production and further studies are needed to adjust the analytical techniques of aluminum extraction as well as to resolve some doubts regarding its digestion process.A nutrição animal necessita de metodologias simples que possam ser aplicadas em condições de campo, que sejam capazes de fornecer estimativas válidas de consumo e digestibilidade e que possam ser utilizadas tanto pelos produtores rurais quanto pela indústria produtora de insumos para animais. Assim a busca por novas substâncias, fornecidas de forma prática, quantificadas por metodologias analíticas simples e de baixo custo em substituição aos indicadores externos (óxido crômico usado como referência) seriam bem aceitas pela comunidade científica. Neste contexto objetivou-se avaliar o fornecimento do óxido crômico via esofágica ou misturado na ração, e o uso do caulim como indicador, sob as mesmas formas de fornecimento, para estimar a produção fecal e digestibilidade, utilizando quatro bovinos machos castrados da raça Holandesa. Foram testados quatro tratamentos, distribuídos aos animais segundo um delineamento quadrado latino 4x4, sendo o primeiro aquele em que os animais foram submetidos ao fornecimento de óxido crômico fornecido via esofágica (OCesof), no segundo tratamento os animais receberam o caulim via esofágica (Caulesof), no terceiro o fornecimento do óxido crômico aos animais foi misturado à ração (OCrac) e no quarto tratamento o caulim foi administrado misturado à ração (Caulrac), em quatro períodos experimentais de 12 dias, com intervalos de seis dias entre os períodos. O tratamento Caulrac permitiu obter estimativas de produção fecal semelhante ao tratamento OCesof. O tratamento OCrac não diferiu do tratamento OCesof (p > 0,05) em nenhum dos parâmetros avaliados, evidenciando que o indicador óxido crômico pode ser fornecido misturado diretamente na ração sem prejudicar as estimativas de produção fecal e digestibilidade

Residual intake and gain for the evaluation of performance, non-carcass components, and carcass characteristics of confined crossbred Texel lambs

We evaluated performance, non-carcass components, and carcass characteristics of crossbred Texel lambs in different categories of residual intake and gain (RIG). We assessed 77 crossbred (¼ Pantaneira and ¾ Texel) non-castrated animals in two study phases. The first phase included 47 lambs with an initial average weight of 29.9±5.5 kg, and the second phase included 30 lambs with initial average weight of 22.4±3.3 kg. Dry matter intake (DMI) and average daily gain (ADG) were evaluated for 70 days. Animals were divided into three groups in terms of efficiency: efficient (high RIG), intermediate (medium RIG), or inefficient (low RIG), based on the standard deviation of the mean for the RIG variable. We measured the yield of noncarcass components, carcass characteristics, and yield of meat cuts. Efficiency group had no association with DMI, nor with initial and final body weights of the animals. The ADG of efficient (0.310 kg day−1) and intermediate (0.290 kg day−1) animals was greater than observed in inefficient (0.260 kg day−1) animals. Lambs in the efficient and intermediate groups had significantly higher levels of all efficiency indicators evaluated. Efficient and intermediate animals yielded significantly more wool/skin in comparison with lambs in the inefficient group. Animals with high RIG also had lower relative weight of testicles/scrotal sac in comparison with inefficient animals. Fat deposition in the omentum and mesentery as well as total fat were decreased in efficient animals. No significant differences occurred among groups regarding carcass characteristics and yield of meat cuts. The RIG index allows for the identification of lambs with higher growth rates and greater wool/skin yield and lower proportion of visceral fa

Quality traits and lipid composition of meat from crossbreed Santa Ines ewes fed diets including crushed crambe

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the replacement of soybean meal by crushed crambe on the qualitative characteristics, lipids, and chemical composition of the meat from crossbred Santa Ines ewes. These animals presented an initial body score of 2.5, were finished in confinement for 60 days, fed diets containing crushed crambe replacing 0, 33, 67, and 100% of soybean meal, and slaughtered with a body condition score of 3.5. The statistical design was completely randomized, with slaughter weight used as a covariate in the model. Sensory evaluations were performed in the gluteobiceps muscle by untrained evaluators (n = 100) of different ages. There was no significant effect for color, shear force, or cooking loss of the semimembranosus muscle. The replacement levels of soybean meal influenced only the moisture content, with a linear increase, and the ash content, which decreased linearly. For saturated fatty acids, there was linear effect on capric acid (C10:0), and a linear reduction of myristic (C14:0), pentadecanoic (C15:0), and heptadecanoic (C17:0) fatty acids. There was no influence of the inclusion level of crushed crambe on monounsaturated fatty acids. A linear increase was observed in the polyunsaturated fatty acids linoleic acid (C18:2n-6) and eicosatrienoic acid (C20:3n-3). For the sensory attributes, there were differences only for the variables flavor and tenderness, in which meat was considered more flavorful if it was from animals fed 0% crushed crambe, with an average of 1.6, and considered more tender if it was from animals finished with 15% crushed crambe in the diet, scoring an average of 1.7. Crushed crambe can be considered a promising alternative in the feeding of ewes finished in feedlot, replacing soybean meal in the diet, showing satisfactory results with respect to meat quality

Intake, digestibility, performance and carcass characteristics of ewes fed crambe replacing soybean meal in the diet

<div><p>ABSTRACT. The use of alternative sources of protein for ruminant can alter productivity and reduce costs in animal production. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance, apparent digestibility and quantitative characteristics of carcass components of ewes fed increasing levels (0, 50, 100 and 150 g kg-1 dry matter) of crambe crushed in the diets. Twenty-four culling ewes were distributed in a completely randomized design. All animals were kept in a shed, with individual stalls equipped with feeder, drinker and concrete floor covered with rice hulls. The animals received corn silage as roughage and diets were isoenergetic with 700 g kg-1 of TDN. Animals were slaughtered when reached a body condition score of 3.5 points. The dry matter intake (948.53 g day-1) and average daily gain (0.15 kg day-1) were not influenced by the inclusion of crambe crushed in the diet. The crambe crushed increased ether extract digestibility and decreased crude protein intake and digestibility. There was no effect of the levels of crambe crushed on carcass characteristics and non-carcass components but rather a reduction in the cold carcass yield. Total replacement of soybean meal with crambe crushed in the diet for ewes did not alter performance, carcass and non-carcass characteristics.</p></div

Recria e terminação de borregas mestiças em confinamento alimentadas com níveis crescentes de concentrado na dieta

To maximize economic gain in sheep production systems it is critical to adjust feedlot diets to maximize performance while minimizing feed, and especially concentrate, waste. Little information is available on ideal diets for crossbred ewe lambs. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the performance of feedlot crossbred ewe lambs, and the digestibility of diets, with increasing levels of concentrate during the growing and finishing phases. Twenty-four crossbred Texel × Pantaneira Texel ewe lambs were confined and fed Tifton hay with increasing levels of concentrate in the diet (20, 40, 60 and 80%) for individual evaluation of dry matter intake (DMI), digestibility of diets, average daily gain (ADG) and feed efficiency (FE). Animals were slaughtered at 47 kg. In the growing phase, the inclusion of concentrate in the diets (1176 g.kg-1) did not change DMI (p > 0.05). Concentrate levels had a quadratic effect (p 0.05). DMDC and TDN values displayed a quadratic behavior (p 0.05) for different diets. Thus, the use of 60% concentrate in the confined crossbred ewe lamb diet during growing and 20% concentrate during finishing is recommended.Objetivou-se avaliar dietas com níveis crescentes de concentrado para borregas confinadas e estabelecer a proporção de concentrado ideal para maximizar a utilização dos nutrientes e o desempenho durante as fases de recria e terminação. Foram confinadas 24 borregas alimentadas com feno de capim-Tifton e níveis crescentes de concentrado na dieta (20, 40, 60 e 80%) para avaliação individual do consumo de matéria seca (CMS), digestibilidade dos nutrientes das dietas, ganho médio diário (GMD) e eficiência alimentar (EA). As borregas foram abatidas com 47 kg. Na fase de recria, o CMS não foi alterado (P>0,05) pela inclusão de concentrado nas dietas (1176 g/dia). Foi observado efeito quadrático dos níveis de concentrado (P0,05). O CDMS e o valor de NDT apresentaram comportamento quadrático (P0,05). Recomenda-se a inclusão de 71,50% de concentrado na dieta de borregas para maximizar o aproveitamento dos nutrientes e o desempenho na fase de recria e 72,3% de concentrado para fase de terminação