Willian Gonçalves do Nascimento

Evaluation of carcass characteristics and meat chemical composition of Bos indicus and Bos indicus x Bos taurus crossbred steers finished in pasture systems

The objective of this study was to evaluate the carcass characteristics (carcass weight, carcass yield, fat thickness, loin area, marbling and colour) and chemical composition of the Longissimus dorsi muscle (moisture, ash, crude protein, fat and cholesterol) of cuts with or without fat thickness, of Bos indicus and Bos indicus x Bos taurus crossbred steers finished in millet (Pennisetum americanum L.) or star grass (Cynodon plectostachyus Pilger) pasture systems, with mineral or mineral protein supplementation. Animals were slaughtered with an average body weight of 450 kg (Bos indicus) or 470 kg (Bos indicus x Bos taurus crossbreed). There was no treatments effect on carcass characteristics and meat chemical composition of cut without fat thickness. The cuts with fat thickness of steers fed millet presented the highest fat deposition. Bos indicus steers presented higher carcass yield (57.23%) and fat thickness (4.88 mm) compared with crossbreed (53.40% and 3.05 mm). There was no breed effect on chemical composition of meat. The mean levels of cholesterol concentration were 31.41 mg/100 and 37.55 mg/100g of meat with and without fat thickness.

Evaluation of cassava and its industrial residues in replacement of corn on performance of feedlot heifers

The objective of this work was to study the replacement of corn by cassava hulls, swept cassava meal or cassava scrapings on the average weight gain, feed intake, feed:gain ratio and carcass yields of feedlot heifers. Twenty-eight crossbreeding heifers averaging 365 kg LW and 24 months of age were allotted to a randomized blocks design in a 56 days experimental period, with four diets and seven replicates. There was no effect of replacement of corn by cassava products on average weight gain, feed:gain ratio and carcass yields. However, feed intake was smaller in the diets with cassava scrapings and by-product cassava.

Apparent digestibility of diets containing corn or cassava hull as energy source and cottonseed meal or yeast as protein source, in heifers

ABSTRACT - Twenty-eight heifers, with average 303 kg LW were used to determine the apparent digestibility of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), organic matter (OM), gross energy (GE), acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and starch in diets containing corn or cassava hull and yeast or cottonseed meal plus meat and bone meal, during seven days. The addition effect of salt or mineralized salt to the diets was also evaluated. The acid insoluble ash was used as internal maker. The digestibility of DM, OM and GE were higher for diets containing yeast compared to those ones with cottonseed meal plus meat and bone meal. The same happens for digestibilities of CP, ADF and NDF, however, only for diets containing corn as a energy source. There was no effect of protein sources on starch digestibility. The cassava hull presented higher nutrient digestibility compared to corn grain. The mineralized salt provided higher digestibility of DM, CP, OM, NDF and starch, compared to corn based diets with salt.

Forage production of Tanzaniagrass (Panicum maximum Jacq. cv. Tanzania-1) grazed at different heights.

This experiment was conducted out to evaluate the forage mass (FM), green leaf lamina mass (GLLM), green stem + leaf sheath mass (GSSM), mass of dead material (MDM), green forage mass (GMF), total forage mass (TFM), leaf/stem ratio (L/S), dry matter accumulation rate (DMAR), leaf area index (LAI), % of bare soil (BS) and litter cover percentage (LCP) in Tanzaniagrass pasture (Panicum maximum Jacq. cv. Tanzania-1) managed at four different sward heights (20, 40, 60 and 80 cm). The grazing method was the continuous stocking with variable stocking rate, and the grazing animals were Nellore steers with average weight of 340 kg. The completely randomized design was used with two replications and five evaluation periods were performed. The GLLM, GSSM, MDM, GMF, FM, LAI, DMAR, and TFM increased by increasing of the pasture height, the percentage of NCS, SCWL and dead material decreased with the pasture height. Tanzaniagrass management, based on the pasture height from 40 to 60 cmshowed good morphologic composition and high leaves availability for grazing, good ground cover and dry matter accumulation rate, while the heights of 20 and 80 cm shall not be recommended for the Tanzania grass management when the objective is high production of forage quality.

Suplementação com sal mineral proteinado para bovinos de corte, em crescimento e terminação, mantidos em pastagem de grama estrela roxa (Cynodon plectostachyrus Pilger), no inverno

This work was carried out to study the effect of protein and mineral salt supplements in comparison to mineral salt on performance of growing and finishing steers, and to evaluate the availability, chemical composition and in vitro digestibility of forage during the winter. Seventy four steers were used, 37 with 266 kg of initial body weight and 37 with 377 kg of initial body weight. At the onset of the fall grass production period in May both animal groups (growing and finishing) were divided into two treatments: mineral supplement (MIS) or protein and mineral supplement (PMS). Four pastures of violet star grass forage (Cynodon plectostachyus Pilger) were used, in continuous grazing. The quality and availability evaluation of forage were estimated every 28 days. The average intake of mineral salt and protein mineral salt were 42 and 184 g per animal a day for growing animals and 57 and 281 g per animal a day for finishing animals. There was no difference in average daily gain between treatments, either for growing animals (0.17 kg a day and 0.16 kg a day) and finishing animals (0.01 kg a day and 0.02 kg a day). However, the average daily gain for growing animals was superior (0.17 kg a day) when compared with finishing animals (0.01 kg a day). The quality and availability of the pasture were similar to the different treatments, with average levels of 3643 kg of dry matter/ha, 2041 kg of green dry matter/ha, and 285 kg of leaves/ha. The leaf proportion was small (7%) for all treatments in function of the high dead material (44%) proportion. The pasture had in average 4.5% CP, 1.8% DCP, 79.9% NDF, 51.5% ADF, and 44.0% IVDMD.

Levels of triticale in replacement of corn on the performance and apparent digestibility of feedlot Nellore heifers

This work was carried out to study the replacement levels of corn by triticale in feedlot Nellore heifers. Fifty-six Nellore heifers, 18 months of age and with an initial LW 212 kg were allotted to a completely randomized experimental design, with four corn replacement levels (0, 33, 66 and 100%) by triticale and seven replications. There were no effects of corn replacement levels on the final live weight, average daily gain, intakes of dry matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, hemicellulose (kg/day), feed: gain and carcass yield. Although differences as absolute values have not been registered, the dry matter intake (per 100kg LW) was crescent among 0 to 100% triticale levels. Similar behavior was observed for the gross energy intake (Mcal/kg of DM/day). The apparent digestibility assay, with the use of an internal indicator (acid insoluble ash) and partial feces collection, demonstrated that there were not differences in the digestibilities of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, gross energy, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber and hemicellulose. According to these results triticale may be used by feedlot heifers as a viable alternative source to replace corn.

Digestibilidade, consumo, desempenho e características de carcaça de tourinhos mestiços confinados com cana-de-açúcar ou silagem de sorgo

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the digestibility, intake, performance and carcass characteristics in young crossbred bulls fed balanced diets based on sugarcane or sorghum silage. In the digestibility assessment in the feedlot, four and eighteen young crossbred young bulls were used per diet, kept in individual stalls, in a randomized complete experimental design with two diets (sorghum silage + 1.0% live weight in concentrate and chopped sugar cane + 1.2% of live weight concentrate). The diets were formulated to have around 12% crude protein. No difference was observed between the diets for intake and digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber and total carbohydrates among the animals fed sorghum silage or sugarcane. The animals fed with sugar cane yielded worse feed conversion and lower daily gain. No differences were observed for live weight, hot carcass weight, carcass dressing, carcass conformation, loin eye area, subcutaneous fat thickness, cushion thickness, meat color, texture and marbling and percentage of bone, muscle and fat. The mean classification of the carcasses was very good minus. Substituting sugar cane for sorghum silage did not influence the studied variables, except feed conversion, daily gain and acid detergent fiber intake and digestibility. Sugar cane can reduce animal performance if used as the only source of forage.

Effect of the dry matter intake level on the sanguine profile of glucose, insulin, urea, estrogen and progesterone and concentration of IGF-I in the follicular liquid of crossbred heifers

O objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar o efeito do nivel de ingestao de materia seca (IMS/% do PV) sobre as concentracoes sanguineas de glicose, insulina, urea, estrogeno e progesterona e o nivel de IGF-I no liquido folicular de novilhas. Vinte e sete novilhas cruzadas foram utilizadas, distribuidas em tres tratamentos: 1,2%; 1,6% e 2,6% do peso vivo de ingestao de materia seca por dia. As concentracoes no plasma da veia jugular de glicose e estrogeno foram maiores nos animais com 1,6% de IMS e os niveis de insulina foram maiores nos animais com 2,6% de IMS. Houve um aumento dos niveis plasmaticos de ureia com aumento dos niveis de IMS. Nao houve efeito da IMS sobre os niveis de progesterona no plasma sanguineo coletado da jugular. No plasma sanguineo coletado da veia cada caudal, os niveis de progesterona foram maiores (P<0,05) nos animais com 2,6% de IMS. Nao houve efeito da IMS sobre os niveis foliculares de IGF-I.

Somatotropina bovina recombinante (rBST) nos aspectos hematológicos e metabólitos do sangue de novilhas (½ Nelore x ½ Red Angus) em confinamento

This work was carried out to evaluate the recombinant bovine somatotropin effect (rBST - BST analogous, commercially obtained by recombinant DNA technique), on hematological aspects (hematocrit, erythrocyte, hemoglobin, leukocyte, neutrophil, eosinophil, lymphocyte and monocyte) and metabolites (glucose, insulin, IGF-I, triglycerides, total cholesterol and urea) in heifers blood. Twenty-four crossbred heifers were used (½ Nellore x ½ Red Angus), they were approximately 18 months old and 225 kg of average body weight. All animals were fed with corn silage, citrus pulp and soybean meal during 84 days. 250 mg of rBST were administered subcutaneously, by intradermic way in the ischiorectal fossa. Treatments were: 1) control (administration of two mL of saline solution); 2) Single dose and 3) one dose each 14 days. The animals were used in a completely randomized design, with three treatments and eight replicates. The blood collect was realized in the beginning of the experiment and in the days 28, 56 and 84 of the experiment to determine the hematological aspects and metabolites. There was no influence of the rBST treatment on hematological aspects in the beginning and at the end of the experiment. However, the collect day had a positive linear effect on the hematocrit levels, negative linear on the glucose and triglycerides levels and positive quadratic on the IGF-I and urea levels. Also, the collect day effect was not observed on the insulin and total cholesterol levels.

Somatotropina bovina recombinante (rBST) sobre o desempenho e a digestibilidade aparente de novilhas (½ Nelore x ½ Red Angus) em confinamento

This work was carried out to evaluate the recombinant bovine somatotropin effect (rBST - BST analogous, commercially obtained by recombinant DNA technique) on average daily gain (ADG), dry matter intake (DMI), organic matter intake (OMI), metabolizable energy intake (MEI) and neutral detergent fiber intake (NDFI), dry matter intake relative to live weight (DMI/LW), feed:gain ratio (F/G), carcass dressing percentage (CDP), dry matter apparent digestibility (DMAD), organic matter apparent digestibility (OMAD), crude protein apparent digestibility (CPAD), crude energy apparent digestibility (CEAD) and neutral detergent fiber apparent digestibility (NDFAD). Twenty-four crossbred heifers (½ Nellore x ½ Red Angus) were used. The heifers were approximately 18 months old and 225 kg of average body weight. All animals were fed with corn silage, citrus pulp and soybean meal during 84 days. 250 mg of rBST were administered subcutaneously by in the ischiorectal fossa. Treatments were: 1) control (administration of 2 mL of saline solution); 2) Single dose and 3) one dose each 14 days. The animals were used in a completely randomized design, with three treatments and eight replicates. The ADG was determined each 14 days. Feed intake and the F/G were determined at the end of the experiment. Apparent digestibility (AD) was determined during seven days using an internal indicator. There was no difference among animals treated or not with rBST for ADG, DMI, CPI, MEI, OMI and NDFI, DMAC and CY. However, the apparent digestibility of DM, OM, CP, CE and NDF was superior in the heifers that received rBST each 14 days.