Tadeu Vinhas Voltolini

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.

Aditivos na conservação do bagaço de laranja in natura na forma de silagem

ABSTRACT - The objective of this experiment was to study the effects of different additives on fermentation and compositionof orange peel silage. Fresh orange peel was ensiled in 15-kg capacity PVC laboratory silos that were arranged according to a r andomizeddesign with three silos per treatment: without additive (control), enzyme inoculate (EI), formic acid (FA), propionic acid (PA) and aceticacid (AA). Samples of orange peel were taken before ensiling (0), and 2, 8, 16, 32 and 64 days after ensiling. Samples of fresh and ensiledorange peel were analyzed for dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), in vitrodry matter disappearance (IVDMD), in vitro cell wall disappearance (IVCWD), pH, buffering capacity and ammonia N. The controlsilage had the lowest DM values (12.2%). Percentages of CP, NDF and ADF of FA silage were lower than those of the other silages .The IVDMD and IVCWD did not change, but FA silage was linear negative in function of days after ensiling. The pH presented cubi cregression comportment, except for the treatment with formic acid, that was linear. The FA silage had the lowest buffering capa city (25.7to 39.1 meq of HCl/100 g of DM) and the greatest ammonia N values (3.0 to 4.0% of total N). Additives do not improve the qualityand nutritional value of orange peel silage.Key Words: additives, orange peel, silage

Produção e composição do leite de vacas mantidas em pastagens de capim-elefante submetidas a duas frequências de pastejo

Objetivou-se avaliar duas frequencias de pastejo em pastagens de capim-elefante (Pennisetum purpureum Schum. cv. Cameroon): uma variavel, determinada pela entrada dos animais na area a ser pastejada, quando o dossel atingisse 95% de interceptacao da radiacao fotossinteticamente ativa; e uma frequencia fixa, de 26 dias. Utilizaram-se oito vacas com media de 124 dias em lactacao, 516 kg de peso corporal e 17,5 kg de leite no inicio do experimento. O periodo experimental foi de 80 dias, divididos em quatro subperiodos de 20 dias. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o cross-over. As frequencias de pastejo nao influenciaram a producao e composicao do leite, o nitrogenio ureico no plasma, o escore de condicao corporal e a variacao de peso corporal. Entretanto, a taxa de lotacao e a producao de leite por unidade de area foram maiores nas pastagens com intervalo de pastejo determinado pela interceptacao de 95% da radiacao fotossinteticamente ativa. Assim, a frequencia de pastejo definida em intervalos variaveis por meio da interceptacao da radiacao fotossinteticamente ativa resulta em maior producao de leite por unidade de area.

Metabolizable protein supply according to the nrc (2001) for dairy cows grazing elephant grass

Tropical pastures fertilized with nitrogen may have high crude protein (CP) contents with high rumen degradability. High crude protein concentrates offered to cows grazing these pastures may increase feed costs without positive effects on their performance. The objectives of this trial were to evaluate the effects of increasing metabolizable protein (MP) supply beyond the NRC (2001) recommendations for mid lactating dairy cows grazing elephant grass pasture (Pennisetum purpureum Schum. cv. Napier) managed with high stocking rates. Three concentrates (6.3 kg DM-1 cow-1 day-1) were evaluated: control (17%CP) was adjusted in relation to MP according to the NRC (2001); the other two contained extra soybean meal, to increase the CP content to 21.2% (CP) and 25.0% (CP). Twelve multiparous Holstein cows, averaging 150 days of milk production at a rate of 19.5 kg of milk day-1, were used in a 3 × 3 latin square design, replicated four times. Forage consumption was 11,270 kg DM ha-1 with 34% of green leaves and 12% CP. Milk production, corrected to 3.5% fat, milk fat, protein, lactose and total solids contents were not affected by treatments (P > 0.05). Milk urea nitrogen and plasma urea nitrogen increased linearly (P 0.05) body weight gain, body condition score, grazing time, ruminating time, resting time, rectal temperature and respiratory rate. Crude protein content in the concentrate formulated according to NRC (2001) is adequate for mid lactating cows grazing tropical pastures.

Composição e digestibilidade aparente da silagem de bagaço de laranja

The orange peel silage additives, with or without the additives microbial enzymatic additive, formic acid and acetic acid, was evaluated to determine the apparent digestibility of the dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), ether extract (EE) and nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC). The orange peel was ensiled for 70 days, in concrete tubes with capacity for 700 kg, in a trial with male sheep, housed in metabolic cages. The diet constituted on oat hay (70%) and orange peel silage (30%) on a DM basis. There was no difference among the treatments for the digestibility coefficients for the orange peel silage. The additives did not alter the nutritional value of the feed. The orange peel silage showed a high apparent digestibility.

Substituição da Silagem de Milho pela Silagem do Bagaço de Laranja na Alimentação de Vacas Leiteiras. Consumo, Produção e Qualidade do Leite

The effects of the replacement of corn silage by orange peel silage were studied on the intake of nutrients, production and quality of the milk of Holstein dairy cows. A 4 x 4 Latin square design with four replacement levels (0, 25, 50 or 75% DM) of corn silage by orange peel with forage to concentrate ratio of 50:50 were used. The replacement levels did not affect the percentage of milk fat and milk protein, however the nutrient intake and milk production showed a quadratic behavior in function of the replacement level of corn silage by orange peel silage. The results suggest that the silage of orange peel can substitute the corn silage for lactating dairy cows.

Avaliação da silagem de bagaço de laranja com diferentes aditivos por intermédio dos parâmetros de fermentação ruminal de ovinos e contribuição energética dos ácidos graxos voláteis

The orange peel with enzymatic microbial additive, formic or acetic acids was ensiled for 70 days, in concrete tubes with 700 kg of volume capacity, was evaluated by rumen fermentation parameters in a experimental trial using males sheep, housed in metabolic cages. The used diet was oat hay (70%) and orange silage (30%) on DM base. The ruminal fluid was collected with esophageal tube at 2, 5 and 8 hours after, and before feeding that was taken as zero time (0). The pH, N ammonia, volatile fatty acids (acetic, propionic and butyric) and the energy contribution of these acid in kcal were evaluated. There were no differences among treatments for the evaluated characteristics. The regression equations presented quadratic behavior for all studied characteristics and the averages of the characteristics were: pH, 6.97, N amoniacal, 6.78 mg/100 mL of ruminal fluid and acetic, propionic and butyric acids values of 45.99, 11.16 and 5,50 mM/mL of ruminal fluid, respectively. The additives did not alter the nutritional value of the diet when evaluated by the rumen fermentation characteristics. However, for VFA production, there was a better energy conversion efficiency (kcal of VFA/kcal of glucose), 72.92% for the control treatment (without additive).

Behavior of sheep breed Santa Inês in environments with and without shade availability

With the goal of observing the effects of shade provided by polypropylene screen on the behaviour of Santa Ines sheep, in different times of year, an experiment was set up in Petrolina, PE, in the period from June to November 2010. Forty animals divided into equal quantity in two treatments (shaded and non-shaded) were used with supply of irrigated pastures (Tiffton 85). Measurements of meteorological data were made at all times, with the assembly of black globe thermometers and psychrometers in the two areas, and a mini-weather station, at the shaded area. Under these conditions a trials was carried out on behavior of animals, being made visual observations by the method of instantaneous scan at intervals of 10 min during the daytime period, checking the percentage of animals under food, rumination and leisure using the methodology proposed by Johnson & Combs (1991), adapted for a period of 12 h. The shading did not influence the number of animals under the activities evaluated in different treatments. The search for shade was intense in the hottest periods of the day for leisure activity.

Parâmetros sanguíneos, hepáticos e ruminais de ovinos alimentados com dietas com farelo de mamona destoxificado

Abstract – The objective of this work was to evaluate the blood, liver and rumen parameters, as well as to characterize and quantify the population of ciliated protozoa in the rumen of sheep fed diets with detoxified castor bean meal (DCBM). Thirty‑two lambs were used, for the evaluation of blood and liver parameters, and four rumen‑cannulated adult sheep were used to determine rumen parameters. The control diet was composed by buffel grass hay, ground corn grain, urea and soybean meal (SBM). In the treatments, SBM was partially replaced by DCBM at 15, 30 and 45% in the concentrate. There was no significant difference, among treatments, for the serum‑urea contents whose mean value was 666.0 -mg L1. There was no significant difference, among diets, for glucose, aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase, which had mean values of 690.3 -mg L1, 127.4 IUL -1 and 16.9 IUL -1 , respectively. The ammoniacal nitrogen and pH values had an increasing linear pattern with the replacement of SBM by DCBM. The genus

Concentrate levels for lambs grazing on buffel grass

Use of concentrate for lambs grazing buffel grass may improve animal performance and animal traits. The objective of the present trial was to evaluate the final body weight, average daily gain, total weight gain and carcass traits (cold and hot carcass weights, cold and hot dressing percentages) of lambs grazing buffel grass and receiving different concentrate levels (0; 0.33; 0.66 and 1.0% of dry matter in relation to body weight). Forty lambs were used, ten animals by treatment, with 16.5 ± 2.0 kg of initial body weight, distributed in four groups. Experimental design was a completely randomized with ten replicates. Concentrate levels did not influence the final body weight, the average daily gain, total weight gain and cold and hot carcass weights. However, the increase of concentrate levels promoted higher cold and hot carcass yields.