Perla Cordeiro de Paula

Efeitos da frequência de fornecimento do volumoso e concentrado no comportamento ingestivo de vacas e novilhas em confinamento

ABSTRACT - The present study was conducted with the objective of evaluating the influence of frequency ofroughage and supplement supply and/or animal category on the ingestive behavior of cattle. Sixteen heifers and sixteencows, with average initial age of 20 and 66 months and average initial weight of 338 and 432 kg, respectively, were used.Treatments were represented by the frequencies of roughage and concentrate supply: 2 R/C – roughage and concentratetwo times per day; 1 R/C – roughage and concentrate one time per day; 1 R/2C – roughage one time per day and concentratetwo times per day; 1 R/3 C – roughage one time per day and concentrate three times per day, offered to cows and heifers.Diet was composed of 60% maize silage and 40% concentrate, on a dry matter basis (DM). The complete randomizedexperimental design was used, with a 4 × 2 factorial arrangement (frequencies × category). The data were submitted tovariance analysis and averages were compared by “t” test. The interaction between supply frequencies and animal categorywas significant for rumination and idle times, efficiencies of dry matter rumination and of neutral detergent fiberrumination, number of ruminated bolus and daily time of chew. Heifers showed longer idle periods and daily time of chewwhen compared with cows that received food once in a day. Duration of feed intake did not vary with frequencies. Cowsshowed longer period of feed intake and ingestive rate in relation to heifers (4.38 vs. 4.09 hours and 2.91 vs. 2.35 kgof DM/hour of intake, respectively). The increase in food frequency stimulated animals to intensify feed intake at themoment of supply.Key Words: animal category, chews, food handling, food intake, idleness, rumination

Meat lipid profile of steers finished in pearl millet pasture with different rates of concentrate

The objective of this work was to evaluate the meat lipid profile from Devon beef steers finished in pearl millet (Pennisetum americanum) pasture and fed at different rates of concentrate supplementary diet. Twelve steers weighing 270 kg, at 12‑month‑average initial age, were randomly distributed into three treatments: pearl millet pasture; and pearl millet pasture plus a concentrate equivalent at 0.5 or 1.0% of body weight, with two replicates. Total contents of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, the polyunsaturated:saturated ratio and other relevant fatty acids as the vaccenic acid, conjugated linoleic acid, omega‑3, and omega‑6 were not affected by the consumption of a concentrate supplement at 0.5 or 1.0% live weight. However, the 0.5% supplementation level reduced the concentration of dihomo‑γ‑linolenic fatty acid (C20: 3 n‑6), while the 1.0% supplementation level elevated the content of docosahexaenoic (DHA) (C22: 6 n‑3) fatty acid, and the omega‑6:omega‑3 ratio in meat. Consumption of up to 1.0% energy supplementation increases the omega‑6:omega‑3 ratio in meat from Devon steers grazing on pearl millet pasture.