Gherman Garcia Leal de Araújo

Caracterização da vegetação de Caatinga e da dieta de novilhos no Sertão de Pernambuco

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a composicao botânica, a disponibilidade e a qualidade da forragem e da dieta de animais fistulados alimentados na Caatinga, no periodo chuvoso, em Pernambuco. Avaliaram-se a composicao botânica e a disponibilidade de fitomassa dos estratos herbaceo, arbustivo e arboreo, nos meses de marco e junho. A avaliacao da qualidade da forragem foi feita por meio da analise bromatologica, realizada em todos os meses do periodo chuvoso. Foram encontradas 67 especies, das quais 28 herbaceas, 20 arbustivas e 19 arboreas. Destas, 19 foram encontradas na dieta dos animais. A disponibilidade de fitomassa do componente herbaceo variou de 1.369 kg ha-1 de materia seca (MS), em marco, para 452 kg ha-1 de MS em junho. A disponibilidade do estrato arbustivo aproximou-se do herbaceo, enquanto o componente arboreo contribuiu com apenas 178 kg ha-1 de MS. Apesar de a disponibilidade de fitomassa ser relativamente alta, apenas uma pequena porcentagem do material encontrado pode ser considerada como forragem. Foi observada baixa digestibilidade da proteina, provavelmente em consequencia do alto teor em lignina.

Water and small ruminant production

Water is a nutrient of extreme importance for animals and must be considered vital in any rearing phase. The increasing scarcity of this precious natural resource has concerned different segments of society in order to find solutions for rational and sustainable use of this nutrient. Small ruminants, especially sheep and goats, have social and economic importance due to their great ability in adapting to adverse environmental conditions and using water efficiently. Thus, they might be a good alternative to mitigate the climate change effects and to generate foreign exchange and improving life condition in many places of the world. The concept of water productivity for livestock production is relatively new and there are few studies in the world, especially in Brazil. More researches and new technologies for water use in livestock production are indispensable.

Consumo e digestibilidade aparente em bezerros da raça holandesa alimentados com dietas contendo diferentes níveis de volumoso

This work was to evaluate the effect of different forage levels in the diet on the intake and apparent digestibility of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), total carbohydrate (CHO), gross energy (GE) and total digestible nutrients (TDN). Thirty five pure Holstein bull calves, 60 days old with initial average live weight (LW) of 78 kg, were allotted in a completely randomized experimental design with nine replications per diet, except for the 10% forage diet, with eight replicates. The animals were ad libitum fed with diets contained 10; 25; 40; and 55% of forage, on the DM basis, using chopped coast-cross (Cynodon dactylon) grass, ground corn and soybean meal, which constitute diets with approximately 16% CP. The chromium oxide was used to obtain the fecal DM excretion estimates. The total carbohydrate was calculated as 100 - (%CP + %EE + % ash). The TDN was calculated as (cCP - fCP) + 2.25 (cEE - fEE) + (cCHO - fCHO), where c means intake and f fecal excretion. There were no effects of forage level in the diet on DM and OM intakes (kg/day, % LW and g/kg.75) and CP and CHO (kg/day and % LW). The NDF intake (kg/day, % LW and g/kg.75) increased while the EE and TDN intake decreased linearly, in function of the increased forage level in the diet. The apparent digesitibilities of DM, OM, CP, EE, CHO and GE decreased linearly in function of increased level of forage in the diet, while the NDF apparent digestibility was not affected. The intakes of EE, NDF and TDN and the apparent digestibility coefficients of DM, OM, EE, CP, CHO and GE were affected by forage level in the diet.

Sunflower cake from biodiesel production fed to crossbred Boer kids

The intake of the dry matter (DM), the crude protein (CP) and the metabolizable energy intake (ME) in megacalories per day (Mcal/day) were not affected by the diets. In contrast, the intake of neutral detergent fiber (NDF), in g/kg BW, increased linearly. An increasing linear effect was also observed for the ether extract (EE) intake, whereas a decreasing linear performance was observed for the non-fibrous carbohydrate (NFC) intake. The digestibility of DM, organic matter and NFC decreased linearly with the sunflower cake inclusion, whereas the digestibility of CP, NDF, and EE were not influenced by the diets. No effect was observed for the concentration of serum glucose or urea nitrogen serum. No effect was observed on the urea nitrogen serum in the hours after feeding; however, including sunflower cake in the diets resulted in a quadratic performance for the serum glucose concentrations in the hours after feeding. The average daily gain (ADG) had a decreasing linear effect, and the food conversions of the DM, CP, NDF, NFC and ME had increasing linear effects. The feeding costs decreased with the level of sunflower cake.

Crescimento, conversão alimentar e rendimento de carcaça de bezerros da raça holandesa alimentados com dietas contendo diferentes níveis de volumoso

This work was conducted aiming to evaluate the effect of different forage levels in the diet on the average daily dry matter intake (DMI), average weight gain (AWG), feed:gain ratio and carcass yield. Thirty-six pure Holstein bull calves, 60 days old with initial average live weight (LW) of 78 kg, were allotted in a completely randomized experimental design. The animals were ad libitum fed with diets contained 10, 25, 40, and 55% of forage, on the DM basis, using chopped coast-cross (Cynodon dactylon) grass, ground corn and soybean meal, which constitute diets with approximately 16% CP. Animals were weighed at each 28 days period, with more frequent weighing for the animals near to the pre stabilized slaughtering weights of 190 ± 10 and 300 ± 10 kg, for the groups 1 and 2, respectively. Forage levels of the diet for both groups did not affect the dry matter intake. There was increased linear effect of forage level on feed:gain ratio expressed as LW or empty body weight (EBW). The average weight gain expressed in LW and EBW decreased linearly in function of the levels of forage in the diet. The hot carcass weight and hot carcass dressing for animals in group 2 were not affected, while the hot carcass dressing of animals from group 1 decreased linearly with the level of forage in the diet. The average daily gain at 28 and 56 days for group 1 and at 28, 56, 84 and 112 days for group 2, reduced linearly with the increasing of forage levels in the diets. The animal performance for both groups was higher with the use of low levels of forage in the diets, but above five months of age, the use of higher forage levels was not harmful to the performance of the animals.

Características quantitativas das partes do corpo não-integrantes da carcaça animal e desenvolvimento do trato gastrintestinal de bezerros da raça Holandesa alimentados com dietas contendo quatro níveis de concentrado

Thirty two Holstein black and white type bull calves averaging 75 days of age and initial 78 kg LW, divided into two slaughter groups (group 1: 16 animals slaughtered with 190 ± 10 kg LW and group 2: 16 animals slaughtered with 300 ± 10 kg LW) were allotted to a completely randomized design to evaluate the effects of crescent dietary levels of concentrate on the quantitative traits of the non integrate body parts of the animal carcass and the development of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). The animals were full fed with diets contained 45.0, 60.0, 75.0 and 90.0% of concentrate on the DM basis, using coast-cross (Cynodon dactylon) grass hay and corn meal, and soybean meal, which constituted diets with approximately 16,0% CP. At each 28 days period, the animals from each group were weighed and slaughtered at preestablished weights for the groups 1 and 2. The concentrate levels of the diet did not affect the weights, in absolute values and per 100 kg EBW, of reticulum-rumen (RR), small intestine (SI), large intestine (LI), hide, and internal fat and in the length of LI for both groups. For animals from the group 1, there was a quadratic effect on the omasum weight, while the abomasum weight, for both groups, linearly increased in function of concentrate levels in the diet. The length of SI, per 100 kg EBW, from animal of the group 2, decreased linearly, with the addition of concentrate in the diet. The weights of internal organs (MIO), in absolute values, from animals of the group 2 were not affected. However, animals from the group 1 were affected by the addition of concentrate in the diets. The weight of MIO, per 100kg EBW, for the animals from the group 1, were affected, but the mesenteric fat weight in absolute values and per 100 kg EBW, for animals from the group 2, linearly increased, with the crescent levels concentrate in diets.

Composição corporal e exigências líquidas de energia e proteína de bezerros da raça holandesa alimentados com dietas contendo diferentes níveis de volumoso

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of different forage levels in the diet on the body composition, net energy for maintenance and weight gain and net protein requirements for weight gain. Fifty-two pure Holstein bulls calves; 60 days old with initial average live weight (LW) of 78 kg were used. Eight reference animals were slaughtered at the beginning of the feeding trial. Another group of eight animals were fed diet with 90% of forage and 10% of concentrate to meet the requirements slightly above maintenance (maintenance group). The remaining 36 animals were allotted in the treatments in a complete randomized experimental design, in four groups of nine animals, in function of forage levels in the diet: 10, 25, 40 and 55%, on the DM basis, using chopped coast-cross (Cynodon dactylon) grass, ground corn and soybean meal, which constitute diets with approximately 16% CP. Five animals from each treatment were slaughtered with 190 + 10 kg LW and four with 300 + 10 kg LW. The net energy (NE) requirement for maintenance was estimated from the regression equations between the logarithms of produced heat and the metabolizable energy intake (MEI), assuming MEI equal to zero. Regression analysis, of the logarithm of the amounts of fat, protein and energy, in function of the logarithm of empty body weight (EBW) were fitted. The energy requirement for maintenance was in average 110.46 kcal/kg.75. The amount of fat and the energy content of weight gain increased as the animal LW increased, for all forage levels of the diet and in overall. The net energy and protein requirements for 1 kg of EBW gain were 2.83 Mcal/day and 183.20 g/day, respectively. The net energy and protein requirements for weight gain of Holstein calves increased with the increase of the empty body weight.

Desempenho de ovinos terminados em confinamento com resíduo desidratado de vitivinícolas associado a diferentes fontes energéticas

The effect of combining diets residues from grapewine industries with different energy sources on consumption, daily weight gain and feed conversion of sheep in feedlot termination were evaluated. Eighteen seven-month old male sheep, non-defined breed, were used, weighted initialy 23.0kg, distributed in randomized blocks with three treatments and six repetitions. The experimental period consisted of 63 days, being the diets composed of 50% of grapewine industry residue and 50% of energy concentrate: ground corn grain (Zea mays) (T1), cassava chips (Manihot esculenta) enriched with 1.8% of urea (T2) and fodder cactus dried meal (Opuntia ficus) enriched with 1.1% of urea (T3). Intakes of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP) and total carbohydrate (TCHO) were evaluated, as well as daily and total weight gains and feed conversion. Respectively for the combination of residue and ground corn grain, for cassava chips and for fodder cactus dried meal, intakes of MS, PB and CHOT were 1085, 906 and 1508g dia-1; 129, 139 and 220g dia-1; 846, 691 and 1157g day-1; average daily weight gains were 117g, 71g and 132g; feed conversions were 9.50, 13.28 and 11.30. Daily averages of live weight gains obtained by sheep during the fattening period showed a good forage potential of the residues of grapewine industries combined with different energetic sources.

Predição da composição corporal por intermédio de método indireto

O objetivo deste trabalho foi desenvolver equacoes de predicao da composicao quimica corporal de bovinos mesticos F1 Simental x Nelore, por intermedio da analise quimica da amostra representativa da carcaca. Utilizaram-se 29 animais, nao- castrados, com idade media de 17 meses e peso vivo inicial de 354 kg. Cinco animais foram abatidos ao inicio do experimento e os demais, distribuidos, inteiramente ao acaso, nos tratamentos que foram definidos de acordo com o nivel de concentrado na racao (25; 37,5; 50; 62,5; e 75%). Os conteudos corporais de proteina, gordura, energia e minerais foram determinados analisando-se amostras de secao da carcaca incluindo a 9a, 10a e 11a costelas, de acordo com HANKINS E HOWE (1946) (secao HH), e dos demais tecidos corporais. Os teores de proteina, gordura, energia e minerais, com excecao do magnesio, da secao HH, mostraram-se altamente correlacionados com a composicao quimica do corpo vazio.

Composição Física da Carcaça de Bezerros da Raça Holandesa Alimentados com Dietas Contendo Diferentes Níveis de Concentrado

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different dietary levels of concentrate on the carcass physical composition. Thirty two pure Holstein black and white type bull calves, into two slaughter groups (group 1: 16 animals slaughtered with 190 ± 10 kg PV and group 2: 16 animals slaughtered with 300 ± 10 kg) with average of 75 days of age and initial 75 kg LW were allotted to a completely randomized design, with four treatments and four replicates for both groups. The animals were full fed diets containing 45.0, 60.0, 75.0, and 90.0% concentrate in the diet (% DM), using coast-cross (Cynodon dactylon) grass hay, corn meal and soybean meal, which constituted diets with approximately 16% CP. At each 28 days period, the animals from each group were weighed and slaughtered at preestablished weights for the groups 1 and 2. The increase of the concentrate levels in the diets only affected proportion of bone in the carcass of the animals of group 1, were not affected, however that of muscle decreased and that of fat, adipose tissue:bone ratio and adipose tissue:muscle ratio linearly increased with the concentrate levels in the diets. The increase of dietary concentrate levels only influenced the muscle:bone ratio in the carcass of the animals of the group 2.