Ricardo Dias Signoretti

Metabolism and ruminal parameters of Holstein × Gir heifers fed sugarcane and increasing levels of crude protein

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of increasing levels of crude protein (CP) in the diet (13, 15, 19 and 22 g/100 g of dry matter, DM) on the metabolism and ruminal parameters of crossbred heifers fed forage sugarcane. Four crossbred Holstein × Gir heifers of average initial weight of 200 kg and average age of 14 months were used. The experimental design was in a 4 × 4 latin square. The intake values of DM, organic matter (OM), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and non-fibrous carbohydrates (NFC) were not affected by the protein contents of the diet. The apparent and ruminal digestibility of DM and OM were affected by the protein content of the diet. Greater total apparent digestibility coefficient of CP (0.749) was observed for the content of 22 g CP/100 g DM, whereas the ruminal digestibility of CP was not affected by treatments. The efficiency of microbial protein synthesis was not different between the CP contents of the diet. There was increasing linear effect of the CP content in the diet on the plasma concentration of urea. The rumen pH of the heifers was similar between treatments, with an average of 6.3. The concentration of rumen ammonia nitrogen was affected by the protein content of the diet, with the highest averages at 22 and 19 CP/100 g DM (27.5 and 31.6 mg/dL); an average of 21.1 mg/dL in the diet with 15 g CP/100 g DM; and the lowest average observed in the diet containing 13 g CP/100 g DM, 14.0 mg/dL. It is recommended to use 13 g CP/100 g DM in the diet for crossbred Holstein × Gir heifers in the post-weaning phase consuming diets based on sugarcane, because this level promotes increase in the digestibility of the diet and lower concentrations of plasma urea nitrogen and ammonia nitrogen, showing better animal metabolism, in addition to a possible decrease in the cost of the diet.

Desempenho e aspectos sanitários de bezerras leiteiras que receberam dieta com ou sem medicamentos homeopáticos

The objective of this study was to evaluate the development of the body, the dry matter intake (DMI), feed conversion (FC) and some sanitary aspects of 12 female dairy calves which were fed with or without the use of homeopathic medicines, from birth to 120 days of age. Newborn crossbred heifers (3/4 Holstein x 1/4 Gyr) with live weight of 35.71 kg were distributed in a completely randomized design, with six replicates per treatment. During weaning (0 - 56 days old), the treatments consisted of milk, being 2 liters in the morning and 2 liters in the afternoon, with or without the addition of homeopathic medicines (5 g/animal/day FACTORS PRO(r), STRESS(r) and C&MC(r)) and concentrate ad libitum. In the postweaning period (57 - 120 days old), the animals received the same concentrate, added or not with the same homeopathic medicines limiting the intake in 3 kg/animal/day. The addition of homeopathic medicines to the diet did not affect (p > 0.05) body development, DMI or FC in dairy calves. A reduction in allopathic drugs to control diarrhea and tick infestation was observed in animals that received homeopathic products. It was concluded that the use of homeopathic medicines did not affect body development, and reduced the number of animals treated with allopathic medicines.

EFEITO DO TAMANHO DE PARTÍCULA E DE INOCULANTE BACTERIANO NA TEMPERATURA, DENSIDADE E pH DE SILAGENS DE MILHETO

The present study aimed to investigate the temperature at different depths of the stack silo and strata front profile before and after the removal of silage. Also, the pH values in the upper and lower profile and the silage density of the fresh materials (FM) and dry matter (DM) in pearl millet silages with particle sizes of 5 or 20 mm, with or without inoculant, were assessed, using corn silage as controls. There was an interaction (P<0.05) silage × stratum profile and silage × depth profile for the temperatures before the removal of silage, and the pearl millet silages had lower temperatures in the upper stratum compared to corn. The temperature gradient between the silage and environment pearl millet and corn silos were smaller in the lower stratum profile. The temperature gradient after the removal of the silage was less than 50 cm deep at all the pearl millet silos. There were no differences in the densities of the FM and DM of the studied silages. The pH values of the silages before their removal were higher in the upper stratum and lower stratum in the bottom of all the pearl millet silages, in contrast with corn silage. The pearl millet silos had lower pH values in the lower stratum of the silo. Silages with 5 mm particle size provide lower temperatures in the middle portion of the panel before the removal of the silage. The use of bacterial inoculant in this study did not change the characteristics evaluated.

Desenvolvimento corporal de novilhas leiteiras suplementadas com minerais inorgânicos e orgânicos em pastejo na época das águas

The objective was to evaluate the effects of supplementation with sources of inorganic minerals and organic, in the rainy season of the year on the performance of dairy crossbred Gir x Holstein, with a mean age of 13.6 ± 2.9 months and body weight averaging 176.8 ± 10.1kg were assigned at random block design, the module (two module/treatment) is considered as the grazing treatment (inorganic minerals and organic sources) and animals such as repetition (16 animals / treatment) in pasture Brachiaria brizantha (Hochst. ex. A. Rich.) Stapf. cv. Marandu, managed under rotational grazing system. At the end of each grazing cycle (42 days) the animals were weighed and measured for height at withers and girth and the body weight average batch was used for calculation of load adjustment. With respect to the forage available did not differ between treatments, but on the cycles. The average forage available for the cycles was 12kg dry matter/100kg body weight with stocking rate of 4.19UA/ha. There were no effects of inorganic minerals and organic sources on the average daily gain of body weight and measurements in the height at withers and the girth. The correct management of grazing in the rainy season and the appropriate mineral supplementation provided an excellent performance of dairy heifers with average gains of 0.680 kg/day. The performance of dairy heifers rearing pasture was similar when supplemented with organic or inorganic mineral sources.