Variation in bovine milk stability according to lactational stage and genetic group.

We address the hypothesis that at early and late lactation milk presents low ethanol stability due to high acidity and ionic calcium values. Our aim was to evaluate the functional traits of milk (milk ethanol stability: MES, acidity and ionic calcium: iCa) according to lactation stage in different genetic groups. Raw milk samples were collected from Jersey (n = 271), Holstein (n = 248) and Jersey × Holstein crossbred cows (n = 82), raised on five commercial farms located in the state of Paraná, Brazil. Milk composition, somatic cell count (SCC), milk urea nitrogen (MUN), MES, pH, acidity and iCa were determined. Days in milk (DIM) were categorized into four classes: 1-60, 61-150, 151-305 and over 305 DIM. Data were submitted to analysis of variance. Fixed and random effects were incorporated into the model, in a repeated measures in time arrangement using the mixed models methodology. Significant interactions between DIM class and genetic groups were detected. The comparison between each combination of genetic group and DIM class showed that at the beginning of lactation, Holsteins produced milk with higher MES than Jersey and crossbreds. At 105-305 DIM Holstein milk presented higher MES than Jersey, while beyond 305 DIM Holstein milk showed higher MES than crossbred cows. At the beginning of lactation acidity was higher in Holstein milk and crossbreds compared with Jersey, while acidity was lower in Holstein milk compared with Jersey and crossbreds in the other lactation stages. Ionic calcium was highest after lactation peak for Holstein, but did not vary between lactation stages for Jersey and crossbreds. Functional characteristics of bovine raw milk such as MES, iCa and acidity varied between lactation stages in a distinct manner according to genetic groups. Early and end lactation stages are challenging in terms of low stability, especially for Jersey and crossbreds.

Intake, digestibility and ruminal parameters of lambs fed with increasing levels of wheat bulgur.

The aim was to evaluate the effect of the inclusion of wheat bulgur in the diet on intake, digestibility, N balance and ruminal parameters in cannulated lambs. Four castrated Santa Ines×Dorper lambs, cannulated in the rumen, (45 ± 9 kg) were housed in metabolism crates. They were randomly distributed in a 4×4 Latin Square,10-day adaption, a 6-day sampling period. The base diet was composed by ryegrass hay and concentrate, in a 40:60 roughage:concentrate ratio and four inclusions of wheat bulgur on the total diet: 0, 190, 380 and 570 g/kg dry matter. The inclusion of wheat bulgur did not affect the intake of non-structural carbohydrates. The intake of dry matter, fiber, crude protein, organic matter and crude fat decreased linearly (P<0.05). The digestibility of neutral detergent fiber decreased linearly (P=0.001). The N retained and the excreted in urine were not affected by wheat bulgur inclusion. Fecal excretion, total excretion and absorbed N, decreased linearly (P<0.05). There was no change on pH, ammonia, soluble carbohydrates and protozoa population in rumen. Increasing of wheat bulgur in the diet of lambs decrease the nutrient intake and fiber digestibility without affecting the digestibility of other compounds, ruminal parameters, and the protozoa count.

Biofortification of cow milk through dietary supplementation with sunflower oil: fatty acid profile, atherogenicity, and thrombogenic index.

The present study aimed to assess the effects of replacing the starchy ingredients of concentrate by increasing the levels of sunflower oil on the production, composition, fatty acid profile, and evaluate the atherogenicity and thrombogenic index of Jersey cow's milk. Eight Jersey cows were arranged in a double Latin square and distributed in treatments consisting of supplementation with increasing levels of sunflower oil replacing the corn grain and wheat bran of concentrate, including the following: T0 (control diet), without sunflower oil and with 38 g ether extract (EE)/kg dry matter (DM); T1 = 65 g EE/kg DM; T2 = 86 g EE/kg DM; and T3 = 110 g EE/kg DM. The daily milk production was measured, and the corrected milk production was calculated. Milk samples were analyzed by infrared spectroscopy to determine fat, protein, lactose, and total solids, whereas the lipid profile was assessed by gas chromatography. Milk production, energy-corrected milk production, fat content, daily fat production, lactose, and total solids were not affected by the treatments. Protein, lactose, and total solids concentrations decreased. Short-, medium-, and odd-chain fatty acids decreased with an increase in sunflower oil levels. Conversely, linear increases in long-chain, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acid concentrations were observed. There were significant increases in stearic and elaidic acids and conjugated linoleic acid isomers, especially in vaccenic and rumenic acids. There was a positive effect on the milk atherogenicity, thrombogenicity, and nutraceutical indices. Dietary supplementation with sunflower oil changes the milk FA profile, decreases the atherogenicity and the thrombogenicity indices, and improve the nutraceutical index up to the addition of 86 g EE/kg DM de sunflower oil in the diets of Jersey cows.

Physiological response to heat stress and ingestive behavior of lactating Jersey cows in silvopasture and conventional pasture grazing systems in a Brazilian subtropical climate zone.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the physiological response to heat stress and ingestive behavior of Jersey cows in silvopasture and conventional pasture grazing systems. The experiment was carried out during the warm season, spanning spring, summer, and fall seasons in the Brazilian subtropical climate zone. Twelve lactating Jersey cows were observed in rotational grazing on Cynodon nlemfuensis Vanderyst and Panicum maximum Jacq. Treatments were composed of different grazing systems (silvopasture and conventional pasture). The silvopasture grazing system had eucalyptus trees (Eucalyptus grandis Hill ex Maiden) with an average height of ≈ 10 m and row spacing of 20 m. In the conventional pasture grazing system, there were no rows of eucalyptus and no other type of tree or structure to provide shade to the animals. During the summer and fall periods of evaluation, the silvopasture animals presented a lower respiratory rate, whereas during the spring and fall evaluation periods, these animals presented a lower rectal temperature. Cattle in the silvopasture showed longer grazing times at night (+21.65 min) and overall (+36.00 min) and remained lying down (ruminating and resting) for longer (+ 73.07 min) than conventional pasture grazing system animals. In addition, the animals in the silvopasture had a lower water intake (3.12 L/100 kg BW). The silvopasture grazing system improved the welfare of the grazing Jersey cows, as evidenced by the improvement in physiological response to heat stress, increased grazing time and decreased standing time (resting + ruminanting) when compared to cows in the conventional pasture grazing system.

Morphophysiology of forage peanut submitted to different intensities of defoliation on grazing with sheep.

The aim was to monitor the growth, the dry mass accumulation curve, and the structural photosynthetic components of forage peanut pasture, in different intensities of defoliation in sheep rotational stocking. Experimental area of Arachis pintoi (cv. Amarillo) had 0.29 ha divided equally into 16 paddocks of 180 m2 where they were assigned in a randomized block design with four repetitions; intensities of grazing were very lenient, lenient, moderate, and severe, represented by the residue heights of 11.2, 8.4, 5.9, and 3.2 cm respectively, from 14 cm (pre-grazing height). Weekly evaluations were carried out in the remaining period and in the pre and post-grazing period, with the forage cut to soil level for the determination of the dry mass available, separation of the structural components of pasture, and determination of the area of the leaflets. From this information, the values of leaf area index, leaf to stem ratio, and growth ratios were calculated. With these results, for the growth variables, regression curves were estimated as a function of the rest days offered by each treatment. Despite the lower mass of forage obtained when the leaf area is severely defoliated, the species presents even accumulation of biomass and foliar area. Severe grazing intensity resulted in greater accumulation of leaves, reflected in the leaf area ratio and leaf weight ratio. The lenient intensities provide less rest time between grazing, requiring a greater number of paddocks. Under the research conditions, severe defoliation provides less forage to the animals.

Lactation performance, feed efficiency, and blood metabolites of dairy cows treated with recombinant bovine somatotropin: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to assess the impact of recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST) on lactation performance, feed efficiency, and blood metabolites in dairy cows. In the systematic review, articles were selected based on the following criteria: (1) Data focusing on the influence of bovine somatotropin doses on milk production; (2) Submission of original data; (3) Articles published in journals; and (4) Articles in English or Portuguese. The analysis of variance was used with a completely randomized design and mixed models methodology. Polynomial regression was applied to significant fixed effects (rbST dose). The use of rbST resulted in increased milk yield and 4% fat-corrected milk yield, while fat, protein, and lactose contents remained unaffected. Dry matter and metabolizable energy intakes, as well as milk/feed efficiency, exhibited a linear increase, but body condition score (BCS) was negatively impacted. The administration of rbST led to higher blood concentrations of triglycerides and insulin. Cows treated with rbST showed a 23% increase in non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) concentrations compared to non-treated cows. Additionally, growth factors IGF-1 and IGF-2 displayed a linear increase with rbST treatment. In summary, rbST administration increased milk yield and fat-corrected milk yield without affecting milk components. However, despite increasing intake, it resulted in BCS losses and alterations in blood parameters such as NEFA, IGF-1, and IGF-2.

Trade and consumption of buffalo meat in Brazil.

Due to the lack of information concerning the buffalo production chain, the aim of this survey was to identify consumer behaviour, acceptance and trends in relation to buffalo meat. The survey research method was used, for which an online questionnaire was prepared using Google Forms, and distributed via digital platforms to Brazilian consumers. Using the exploratory technique of multivariate statistics, ordination was carried out by principal component analysis (PCA), where the words were grouped into dimensions. Of the respondents, 44.82% had already consumed buffalo meat; however, many did not know whether they had already tried it, since 50.24% of the respondents said they could not identify any difference between buffalo meat and beef. An identification and indication of the origin were considered important by 44.82% of respondents. The respondents cited 1130 different terms, the word 'quality' appearing in most responses. Principal component analysis explained 93.32% of the variations in the consumer perception of buffalo meat. A part of Brazilian consumers is unaware of the buffalo production chain, and have never had the opportunity to consume the meat. The creation and divulgation of a certificate of identification, together with the benefits to health from consuming buffalo meat is fundamental for consumer confidence, which, together with the ready availability of the product, would allow expansion, consolidation and improvement of the production chain. The results of the study show the potential for increasing the consumption of buffalo meat among Brazilian consumers, providing the product included a guarantee of origin, quality and healthiness.

Analysis of the perception and behavior of consumers regarding capybara meat by means of exploratory methods.

The objective of this work was to identify the perception of consumers regarding the consumption of capybara meat, as well as to generate information that will help in the development of the productive chain of the species. Free word association and application of a questionnaire containing questions were performed. We classified dimensions with categories related to the words of greatest impact mentioned. Through the method of word association, it was noticed that terms related to taste and aroma were the most cited. From the 14 factors explored by the questionnaire, four were identified as responsible for explaining 71% of the total common variance of the variables. The exploratory and confirmatory factorial analysis showed that four factors were sufficient to measure the main characteristics that should be considered in marketing strategies by the industries and breeders who want to increase the consumption of capybara meat. These main factors were animal welfare, price, quality and the dissemination of the benefits of meat.

Honey consumer's perception: are brazilian consumers familiar with stingless bee honey?

Stingless bees have a fundamental important role in the economies and traditions of South America indigenous cultures. Are mainly responsible for the pollination of several plant species. This way, the aim was to identify if Brazilian consumers know stingless bee honey and its sensorial characteristics, what is the consumption of this, as well as to generate information to assist in the development of the productive chain of the specie. A closed structured questionnaire with 20 questions was used and the participants were invited via social media. Data were collected in November 2020. The statistical analyses were performed related to the description, characterization of the participants and frequencies. In addition to these,, multivariate analyzes, for word association and questionnaire responses were performed. It is clear that most participants have some confusion between the sensory and physical characteristics of honey from native stingless bees and Apis mellifera. This lack of knowledge of the product can cause problems both in the handling of honey for sale and for consumption. Another interference would be linked to the taste, when we highlight the acidity and less sweetness of this pot-honey, and the consumer can often deduce that the product is damaged or not from a good origin. There is little consumer awareness of the benefits and qualities of stingless honey. Many consumers are still unaware of the differences between breeding sites and characteristics of native stingless bees. Still, a large part of these associates the quality of this honey with the honey of Apis Mellifera.

In vitro and in situ digestibility of annual ryegrass silage from distinct phenological growth stages and pre-dehydration times / Digestibilidade in vitro e in situ de silagem de azevém anual oriunda de diferentes estádios fenológicos e tempos de pré-secagem

The aim was to evaluate how the fodder pre- dehydration time and its phenological stages influence on ruminal degradability and digestibility of ryegrass silage. The evaluated samples consisted of treatments: Vegetative: Cut and ensiled; cut + 4 hours pre-drying and ensiled and; cut + 7 hours pre-drying and ensiled; Pre-flowering: Silage cutting and ensiled and 4 hours pre-drying and ensiled; Flowering: cut and ensiled, no pre-drying, with four replications each treatment. Silage was storage for four months. It was carried out three in situ digestibility assays to determine the curve of ruminal degradability at different times (3, 6, 9, 12, 24, 48 and 72 hours), like in situ digestibility and other three assays of 24 hours and 48 hours to determinate in vitro digestibility of silage. The digestibility of ryegrass silage was influenced by both the pre-dehydration times and phenological stage, and the dehydration time of cut and silage had a high proportion of degradable components, with higher degradation rate by 24 hours of incubation. The in vitro digestibility of the ryegrass silage was greater than that in situ for up to 48 hours. The digestibility of the ensiled ryegrass biomass was influenced by the dehydration times, as well as the plant growth stage, regardless of the methodology used, being higher values for the treatment without previous drying of the vegetative stage.

O objetivo foi determinar como o tempo de emurchecimento e o ciclo da planta influenciam na digestibilidade in vitro e degradabilidade in situ da silagem de azevém. As amostras foram provenientes de experimento a campo, com delineamento experimental de blocos ao acaso, com seis tratamentos (Vegetativo: cortar e ensilar; cortar + pré-secagem de 4 horas e ensilar e; cortar + pré-secagem de 7 horas e ensilar. Pré-florescimento: cortar e ensilar e présecagem de 4 horas. Florescimento: cortar e ensilar) e quatro repetições. A armazenagem foi de quatro meses. Foram realizados três ensaios de digestibilidade in situ para determinar a degradabilidade ruminal em diferentes tempos (3, 6, 9, 12, 24, 48 e 72 horas) e três ensaios de in vitro. A digestibilidade da silagem de azevém foi influenciada, tanto pelos tempos de desidratação, quanto pela idade da planta, sendo que, o tempo 0 do vegetativo apresentou alta proporção de componentes degradáveis, apresentando maior taxa de degradação até as 24 horas de incubação. A digestibilidade in vitro da silagem foi maior que degradabilidade in situ até às 48 horas. Maior digestibilidade da biomassa foi apresentada pelo tempo 0 do estádio vegetativo, para ambas as técnicas empregadas.

Yield, structural composition and nutritive characteristics of ryegrass cultivars used to haymaking in lowland soils / Rendimento, composição estrutural e características nutritivas de cultivares de azevém utilizadas para fenação em solos de várzea

This research aimed to evaluate the dry matter yield, structural composition and nutritive characteristics of diploid and tetraploid annual ryegrass cultivars on different phenological development to haymaking on lowland soils. The experimental design was developed based on randomized blocks with split plots, four cultivars of annual ryegrass (BRS Ponteio and FEPAGRO São Gabriel, diploid; INIA Escorpio and KLM 138, tetraploid), and three phenological crop phases (vegetative, pre-blossoming and blossoming). Were evaluated, dry matter yield, leaf:stem ratio, leaf weight ratio, tiller population density, specific leaf area, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber, and acid detergent fiber. All data were submitted to analysis of variance and the means were compared by Tukey-Kramer test (p< 0,05). Highest forage mass is obtained with harvest in blossoming stage. Tetraploid cultivars present better leaf proportion and higher content of crude protein during vegetative stage. The decrease the in concentration of protein with the change of phenological stage is less evident on diploid cultivars. The vegetative stage enables harvest forage with high nutritional value, with lower production of biomass.

O objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar o rendimento de matéria seca, composição estrutural e características nutritivas de cultivares de azevém anual, diploides e tetraploides em diferentes estádios fenológicos, para fenação, em solos de várzea. O delineamento experimental foi de blocos ao acaso, com parcelas divididas, com quatro cultivares de azevém anual (BRS Ponteio e FEPAGRO São Gabriel, diploides; INIA Escorpio e KLM 138, tetraploides) e três estádios fenológicos (vegetativo, pré-florescimento e florescimento). Foram avaliadas: rendimento de matéria seca, relação folha/colmo, razão de peso foliar, densidade populacional de perfilhos, área foliar específica, proteína bruta, fibra em detergente neutro e fibra em detergente ácido. Os dados foram submetidos à análise de variância e as médias comparadas pelo teste Tukey-Kramer (p <0,05). A maior massa de forragem é obtida com a colheita no estádio de florescimento. As cultivares tetraploides apresentam melhor proporção foliar e maior teor de proteína bruta durante o período vegetativo. A diminuição na concentração de proteína, com a mudança de estádio fenológico é menos evidente nas cultivares diploides. O estágio vegetativo possibilita a colheita de forragem com alto valor nutricional, mas com menor produção de biomassa.