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This study aimed to evaluate the ensiling fermentation profile, chemical composition, and in-situ degradability of mixed ration silages combining babassu by-products as a nutritional alternative for livestock. A completely randomised design was used, with four treatments (silages) and five replications (silos), which were composed of: Sugarcane silage, SS (control); sugarcane silage with corn and soybean meal (standard diet, MRSS); sugarcane silage with corn, soybean meal, and babassu flour, MRSF; and sugarcane silage with corn, soybean meal, and babassu cake, MRSC. The highest values (p < 0.05) of dry matter recovery (DMR) were for the MRSS, MRSF, and MRSC treatments, which also had higher dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), and non-fibrous carbohydrate contents (NFC), compared to SC treatment, which showed the highest levels of neutral detergent fibre corrected for ash and protein (NDFap), acid detergent fibre (ADF), lignin (LIG), and ethanol. The MRSS, MRSF, and MRSC treatments exhibited higher potential degradability (PD) and effective degradability (ED) of DM and CP; and higher (P < 0.05) degradability of DM and CP compared to SS treatment. The inclusion of babassu concentrate and by-products in sugarcane silages in the form of total ration acted positively in the qualitative indicators of the silages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim was examine the effects of substituting the crude protein (CP) from soybean meal (SM) with the CP from urea on the intake, nutrient digestibility and feeding behaviour of feedlot lambs with buffel grass hay as the roughage source. Five uncastrated Dorper × Santa Inês mixed-breed lambs with an average initial weight of 17 ± 1.5 kg were evaluated in a 5 × 5 Latin square design. Treatments consisted of diets in which 0.0, 25.0%, 50.0%, 75.0% and 100% of the CP from SM were substituted by the CP from urea. Compared with diet without urea, dry matter (DM) intake and organic matter intake were similar to diet containing 25% of urea, whereas they were lower in the animals fed diets containing 50%, 75% and 100% of CP from urea. The digestibility coefficients, feeding behaviour, nitrogen (N) balance, N intake and N losses in faeces were not influenced. Urinary N losses differed, with the highest values in the animals fed diets in which 75% and 100% of SM was replaced. Up to 25% of the CP, which corresponds to 3.16% of DM from SM can be substituted by CP from urea in diets containing buffel grass hay for feedlot lambs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective was to evaluate the morphological, productive and chemical characteristics of Crotalarias juncea, spectabilis and ochroleuca, and pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) submitted to phosphate fertilization levels. The experimental design used was completely randomized in a 4 × 4 factorial scheme, with four doses of phosphorus (0, 100, 200, 300 kg ha−1 of P2O5) and four legume cultivars (Crotalaria juncea, Crotalaria spectabilis, Crotalaria ochroleucaanda and Cajanus cajan), with four repetitions. There was no interaction between the levels of phosphate fertilizer and the legume species for the productive characteristics studied. There was a positive linear effect for leaf dry matter production, stem dry matter production and total dry matter production as a function of phosphate fertilization. There was a positive linear effect for the levels of leaf crude protein, with enhanced levels of phosphorus. There was greater fertilizer efficiency in legumes, at a dose of 100 kg ha−1, with a response of 11.46 kg ha−1 for leaf dry matter production and 33.40 kg ha−1 for total dry matter production. Among legumes, Crotalaria spectabilis is recommended due to the higher total dry matter and leaf productivity, greater number of nodules, and better chemical composition and digestibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to evaluate the morphogenetic and structural characteristics of Brachiaria brizantha cv. marandu subjected to grazing management strategies. The treatments corresponded to four grazing management strategies (25-10; 25-15; 35-15; and 45-15 pre and post grazing swards heights, respectively). Grazing management strategies were allocated to the experimental units (100 m2 paddocks) in a completely randomized blocks design with four repetitions. There was no effect of the grazing management on leaf elongation rate and leaf senescence rate, with average values of 11.22 mm/day and 2.17 mm/day, respectively. There were significant differences (p < 0.05) of leaf appearance rate, leaf elongation rate and stem elongation rate among months, where higher values were seen in months with greater rainfall. The evaluated management strategies showed a small effect on the morphogenetic and structural characteristics and can consequently be utilized for the management of marandu grass. In addition, during rainy periods, farmers can use management with higher defoliation frequencies (25-15), while the opposite (45-15) may be used during months with low rainfall in order not to exhaust the organic reserves of the plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate intake and digestibility in sheep fed with residue from common bean (0, 33%, 66% and 100%) in substitution of cottonseed cake (in a dry matter basis). Sixteen mongrel male sheep with average body weight of 30 kg were distributed in a completely randomized design with four treatments and four replicates. The intakes of dry matter and organic matter expressed in gram/day had a quadratic effect. Substitution of cottonseed cake for residue from common bean caused the digestibility coefficients of the nutritional components to increase linearly (P < 0.05), except for the ether extract and neutral detergent fiber corrected for ash and protein. The diets had no effects (P > 0.05) on fecal excretion. On the other hand, dry matter digestibility was quadratically affected (P < 0.05) by diets regardless of the indicator used. The results obtained in this study indicate that residue from common bean can replace up to 66% of cottonseed cake in the concentrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives in this experiment were to compare the effects of adding babassu oil or buriti oil in the diet of sheep on physiological response, feeding behaviour and water intake. Twenty-one lambs (24.6 ± 3.8 kg BW, mean ± SD) were distributed in an unbalanced randomized block design, using three diets: (1) basal diet without added oil (Control, CON); (2) 4% FA.kg−1 DM of babassu oil (BAO) and (3) 4% FA.kg−1 DM of buriti oil (BUO), containing 30% roughage. The addition of vegetable oil to the diet did not change the body temperature and rectal temperature; however, BAO decreased (P < 0.05) the respiratory rate. Additionally, BAO decreased (P < 0.05) dry matter (DM) intake, but did not affect: feeding, rumination and idle activities. The diets supplemented with vegetable oils reduced the efficiency of rumination of DM and neutral detergent fibre (NDF), the total water ingested, water intake per kg of DM and total water intake per kg of DM intake. Therefore, diets supplemented with vegetable oil modified the rumination efficiency and decreased the water intake of lambs in feedlots, especially with the addition of BAO with higher saturated fatty acids; it reduced the DM intake and respiratory rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of herbage allowance on forage productivity, botanical composition and milk yield of Holstein cows. The treatments comprised three conditions of pasture allowance, high (38.4 kg DM cow−1 day−1), medium (30.3 kg DM cow−1 day−1) and low (26.8 kg DM cow−1 day−1) forage supply during autumn, and throughout the pasture allowance conditions of high (49.8 kg DM cow−1 day−1), medium (33.7 kg DM cow−1 day−1) and low (27.6 kg DM cow−1 day−1) herbage supply during spring. Significant differences (P < .05) were observed for forage accumulation, total biomass production and animal stocking rate according to the seasons. Herbage allowance affected (P < .05) the botanical composition and milk production, registering a decrease in Festuca in the summer, and a continuous reduction in legume proportion. Pasture management with a medium herbage allowance throughout the year provided a greater total annual milk production per hectare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of wheat meal alone or combined with Streptococcus bovis on the fermentation and chemical composition of guinea grass silage. A completely randomised design was used in the following treatments: deionised water, untreated; fresh forage plus 100 g kg−1 of wheat meal; S. bovis JB1 plus 100 g kg−1 of wheat meal; and S. bovis HC5 plus 100 g kg−1 of wheat meal, with six replications. There were a higher number of enterobacteria, moulds and yeast populations in the untreated silage (P < .05) compared to treated silages. The association of S. bovis with wheat meal resulted in lower pH and concentration of NH3-N (P < .05) than silages untreated and treated only with wheat meal. The use of both S. bovis JB1 and HC5 combined with 100 g kg−1 wheat meal can also be a good alternative to farmers for improving the silage quality of guinea grass silage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the intake, digestibility, ingestive behaviour, productive performance, rumen fermentation and carcass yield of lambs fed diets with Parkia platycephala pods (PP) replacing ground corn. For this, twenty-eight castrated male lambs (18.34 ± 4.81 kg, 120 days of age), were distributed in randomised blocks with 4 treatments and 7 replicates. Four diets were formulated replacing ground corn with PP (0, 33, 66, and 100%) on a roughage: concentrate ratio of 30:70 on a dry matter basis. The feedlot period lasted for 60 days, and the animals were slaughtered consecutively. The replacing of ground corn with PP reduced the intakes of ether extract and metabolisable energy, digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, ether extract, neutral detergent fibre, total digestible nutrients, isovalerate, and omental + mesenteric fat, while it increased the digestibility of non-fibrous carbohydrates, carcass finishing, and the yields of rumen, reticulum, and omasum (p < 0.05). A quadratic effect was observed for the time of chews per rumen bolus, number of rumination chews per day, number of rumination chews per bolus, and number of rumination chews per minute, propionate (p = 0.002), butyrate (p < 0.01) and total short chain fatty acids (SCFA) (p < 0.05) according to the increase in PP levels replacing ground corn in diets offered to lambs. The rumen pH was reduced and the NH3-N increased according to the evaluation period (p < 0.05). The highest concentration of total SCFA was observed in the collection carried out at 09 h (p < 0.05). The use of up to 100% PP in diets offered to lambs is recommended as it provides nutrient intake, weight gain, and carcass yield similar to ground corn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of increasing levels of greasy babassu by-product (GBB) effects on ingestive behaviour, physiological parameters and carcase traits. Twenty-eight lambs (20.6 ± 4.1 kg of initial BW) were distributed in a completely randomised design being confined for 60 days. The treatments were GBB inclusion levels (0, 50, 100 and 150 g kg-1, in DM basis) in diets with 20% roughage and 80% concentrate (DM basis). Physiological parameters and ingestive behaviour did not change with the inclusion of GBB in the diets (P > 0.05); however, the time of ruminating tended to decrease as well as the time of ruminating chews per bolus, and number of ruminating chews per bolus (P < 0.10). Additionally, inclusion of GBB did not change the carcase traits and commercial meat cuts (P > 0.05). Thus, the addition of GBB up to 150 g kg-1 in the diet for finishing lambs represents an attractive alternative feed for corn and soybean meal, which does not modify the physiological parameters, ingestive behaviour and carcase traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]