Evaluation of internal markers in digestibility estimation for sheep and goats.

The objective of this study was to compare the indirect methods of obtaining digestibility with the direct method of total fecal collection to estimate the apparent digestibility of nutrients in sheep and goats supplemented with non-protein nitrogen. Five goats and five sheep with no defined racial pattern were used, distributed in two 5 × 5 Latin squares, with split plots, considering the diets as plots and the apparent digestibility determination methodologies as subplots. The diets were composed of buffelgrass hay and the addition, via ruminal infusion, of increasing amounts of nitrogen supplementation in order to gradually raise the CP level of the basal diet in intervals of 2% points, that is, + 2, +4, + 6 and + 8%. Samples of the feeds offered, and the leftovers were collected daily during the five days of collection to determine the nutrient intake, as well as the total collection of feces to determine the apparent digestibility of the nutrients. The amount of fecal dry matter excreted was estimated by the concentration of Indigestible Acid Detergent Fiber (ADFi), Indigestible Neutral Detergent Fiber (NDFi), Indigestible Dry Matter at 244 h (DMi 244 h) and Indigestible Dry Matter at 264 h (DMi 264 h). Among the evaluated markers, DMi 264 h had the lowest accuracy in estimating fecal excretion and nutrient digestibility. For the goat species, the markers ADFi and DMi 244 h proved to be able to adequately predict fecal excretion and digestibility indices, while NDFi stood out for both species. Among the evaluated markers, NDFi is the one that most accurately estimates the nutrient digestibility of the diet for goats and sheep.

Forage cactus as an additive in corn without the cob silages of feedlot sheep diets.

This study aimed to assess the impact of adding forage cactus as an additive to the production of corn silage without the cob on the performance of feedlot sheep and subsequent silage losses. The experimental design was completely randomized, consisting of three treatments: corn silage without cob; 0% = 100% corn plant without the cob; 10% = 90% corn plant without cob + 10% forage cactus; 20% = 80% corn plant without cob + 20% forage cactus. Significant effects were observed for dry matter intake (P = 0.0201), organic matter (P = 0.0152), ether extract (P = 0.0001), non-fiber carbohydrates (P = 0.0007). Notably, nutrient digestibility showed significant differences in organic matter (P = 0.0187), ether extract (P = 0.0095), neutral detergent fiber (P = 0.0005), non-fiber carbohydrates (P = 0.0001), and metabolizable energy (P = 0.0001). Performance variables, including total weight gain (P = 0.0148), average daily weight gain (P = 0.0148), feeding efficiency, and rumination efficiency of dry matter (P = 0.0113), also exhibited significant effects. Consequently, it is recommended to include 20% forage cactus in corn silage, which, based on natural matter, helps meet animals' water needs through feed. This inclusion is especially vital in semi-arid regions and aids in reducing silage losses during post-opening silo disposal.

The effects of Lactobacillus hilgardii 4785 and Lactobacillus buchneri 40788 on the microbiome, fermentation, and aerobic stability of corn silage ensiled for various times.

We evaluated the ability of an inoculant containing a combination of Lactobacillus hilgardii and Lactobacillus buchneri to modify the microbiome and improve the aerobic stability of whole-plant corn silage after various lengths of ensiling. Chopped whole-plant corn at about 33% dry matter (DM) was uninoculated (CTR) or inoculated with L. hilgardii CNCM I-4785 and L. buchneri NCIMB 40788 at 200,000 cfu/g of fresh forage weight each (combined application rate of 400,000 cfu of lactic acid bacteria/g of fresh forage weight; LHLB), L. buchneri NCIMB 40788 at 400,000 cfu/g of fresh forage weight and Pediococcus pentosaceus NCIMB 12455 at 100,000 cfu/g of fresh forage weight, used as a positive control (LB500), L. hilgardii CNCM I-4785 at the application rate used in the LHLB formulation of 200,000 cfu/g of fresh forage weight (LH), or L. buchneri NCIMB 40788 at the application rate used in the LHLB formulation of 200,000 cfu/g of fresh forage weight (LB). Silos were opened after 34 and 99 d of ensiling and analyzed for nutrient composition, fermentation profile, microbiome, and aerobic stability. After 34 d of ensiling, the inoculated silages had greater numbers of culturable lactic acid bacteria, a bacterial community less rich and diverse, greater relative abundance of Lactobacillus, lower relative abundance of Klebsiella, and a greater concentration of propionic acid than uninoculated silages. Inoculation decreased the ratio of lactic acid to acetic acid, except for LB alone. Treatment LHLB resulted in silage with a greater concentration of 1,2-propanediol than LB500 and was the only treatment to have a lower relative abundance of Saccharomycetes compared with uninoculated silage. Treatments LHLB and LB500 improved the aerobic stability compared with CTR, but the individual LH and LB treatments applied at a low dose did not. Whereas LB500 was stable 34 h longer than CTR, LHLB was stable 91 h longer. After 99 d of ensiling, all inoculated silages had markedly greater aerobic stability than uninoculated silage and were stable for more than 360 h. The inoculant containing a combination of L. hilgardii and L. buchneri markedly improved the aerobic stability of corn silage after a relatively short period of ensiling, and such improvements were greater than the ones obtained from inoculation with the combination of L. buchneri and P. pentosaceus. Inoculating with the combination of L. hilgardii and L. buchneri may be helpful to producers that must feed silage shortly after ensiling.

Water intake and ingestive behavior of sheep fed diets based on silages of cactus pear and tropical forages.

The objective was to evaluate the water intake and ingestive behavior of sheep fed diets containing silages of cactus pear combined with tropical forages. Forty sheep without defined breed, intact, with initial average weight of 22.65 ± 1.01 kg were distributed in a completely randomized design with 5 treatments and 8 replications. The experimental diets consisted of cactus pear silage (CPS), cactus pear + buffel grass silage (CPBS), cactus pear + gliricidia silage (CPGS), cactus pear + pornunça silage (CPPS), and corn silage (CS). CPGS provided higher water intake via food, total water intake, metabolic water, and excretion via feces and urine (P < 0.05). Animals that received diets containing CS showed higher water intake via drinking fountain, less efficient feeding and rumination of dry matter, less efficient rumination of neutral detergent fiber, grams of dry matter per cud, grams of neutral detergent fiber per cud, and the shortest average time spent in chewing per cud (P < 0.05). CPGS, CPPS, and CS provided longer times for rumination and numbers of cuds per day (P < 0.05). CPS showed animals spending more time in idleness, lower quantity of cuds per minute, higher concentration of crystals in urine, with a higher frequency of ammonia-magnesium phosphate and calcium oxalate. Silages based on cactus pear are an alternative to the supply of water via food for sheep in semi-arid.

Spineless cactus use management on microbiological quality, performance, and nutritional disorders in sheep.

The physically effective neutral detergent fiber content alone has not been able to explain the appearance of diarrhea in ruminants fed diets with large volumes of spineless cactus, so the proliferation of enterobacteria in spineless cactus may be associated with cases of diarrhea in sheep. In the in vitro test, used two varieties of spineless cactus, both of which were chopped to particles of 4 and 2 cm2. For the in vivo test, 15 lambs were allocated to three treatment groups, namely, spineless cactus crushed and immediately supplied to the animals; spineless cactus crushed 8 h before supply; and silage of spineless cactus. The variables evaluated were dry matter intake, weight gain, fecal score, hemogram, and fecal colony count. In the in vitro test, higher Enterobacteriaceae and lactic acid bacteria counts were found both at 12 h and 24 h when the spineless cactus was crushed to 2 cm2 in both varieties. The sheep fed the spineless cactus crushed 8 h prior to supply showed the highest Enterobacteriaceae count in the feces (8.48 CFU/g), compared to animals fed silage of spineless cactus (4.95 CFU/g). It can thus be concluded that the management of spineless cactus influences the development of total and fecal coliforms, especially when it is chopped to 2 cm2 and exposed to the environment for periods longer than 7 h, and that the bacterial population can be controlled by administering the spineless cactus in the form of silage.

Ruminal and histological characteristics and nitrogen balance in lamb fed diets containing cactus as the only roughage.

This study examined rumen fermentation, histological, blood, and urinary characteristics as well as ammoniacal nitrogen concentration, pH, nitrogen balance, and microbial protein in lamb fed diets containing spineless cactus as the sole roughage source plus levels of wheat bran (WB) in comparison with a control diet based on spineless cactus and buffelgrass. Twenty-eight uncastrated, crossbreed lambs with an average initial weight of 22.6 ± 2.37 kg were used in the experiment. The treatments consisted of a standard diet (control) containing buffelgrass and spineless cactus and three diets containing cactus as the only roughage source plus varied concentrations of WB (30, 37, and 44%, on a dry matter basis). Results were evaluated by analysis of variance, and contrasts were applied at the 5% probability level for mean comparison. Rumen villus height and width were greater and musculature was lower in the lamb fed diets containing 37% and 44% WB compared with those fed control diet. In the intestine, the crypts were smaller in the animals which consumed the diets with 30, 44, and 37% WB. All WB levels resulted in lower nitrogen intake and retention. Microbial protein concentration, microbial protein efficiency, microbial nitrogen, urea, and glucose were not significantly affected. Feeding lamb with diets containing levels of wheat bran, with cactus as the only roughage source, does not negatively affect their ruminal-fermentation, blood, and urinary characteristics; ammoniacal nitrogen concentration; pH; or microbial protein. However, nitrogen balance and ruminal and intestinal morphometric characteristics are impaired.

Intake and ingestive behavior of lambs fed diets containing ammoniated buffel grass hay.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of diets with ammoniated buffel grass hay on the ingestive behavior of feedlot lambs. Thirty-two sheep of no defined breed with an average body weight of 17.7 ± 1.8 kg were used. A completely randomized design with four treatments (0, 18, 36, and 54 g/kg dry matter (DM) basis) and eight repetitions was used. Ingestive behavior, rumination, and idle time were similar (P > 0.05) among the diets containing ammoniated buffel grass hay, with mean values of 294.5, 554.44, and 594.25 min per day, respectively. Regarding the chews, all of the variables resulted in similar behavior (P > 0.05). The quadratic effect (P < 0.05) observed for daily intake can be explained based on the amount of DM and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) per meal per rumination. There was no effect of urea levels from the ammoniation (P > 0.05) on the efficiency of DM and NDF consumption. However, the rumination efficiency of DM and NDF showed a quadratic effect (P < 0.05). Thus, the use of ammoniated buffel grass hay with urea in lamb diet affects the ingestive behavior by increasing the rumination efficiency, increased intake, and feed utilization.

Effects of Streptococcus bovis Isolated from Bovine Rumen on the Fermentation Characteristics and Nutritive Value of Tanzania Grass Silage.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Streptococcus bovis on the fermentation characteristics and nutritive value of Tanzania grass silage. Tanzania grass was chopped and left untreated (U) or treated with Streptococcus bovis JB1 at 1 × 10(6) colony-forming units per gram (cfu/g) of fresh forage or Streptococcus bovis HC5 at 1 × 10(6) cfu/g of fresh forage and packed into sixtuplicate laboratory silos. The largest number of enterobacteria, molds and yeast (M&Y) occurred in untreated silages and the smallest populations of enterobacteria and M&Y and the largest numbers of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), at 9.81 and 9.87 log cfu/g, were observed in Streptococcus bovis JB1 and HC5, respectively (P < 0.05). Silages treated with JB1 and HC5 had lower (P < 0.05) silage pHs and concentrations of ammoniacal nitrogen (NH3-N) than untreated silages. The application of Streptococcus bovis JB1 and HC5 resulted in fewer losses through gases and effluents (P < 0.05), which resulted in greater dry matter recovery (DMR) and crude protein recovery (CPR) (P < 0.05). Streptococcus bovis JB1 and HC5 improved the fermentative profile and increased the concentration of crude protein and DMR and CPR in Tanzania grass silage.

Chemical Properties, Ruminal Fermentation, Gas Production and Digestibility of Silages Composed of Spineless Cactus and Tropical Forage Plants for Sheep Feeding.

The aim was to evaluate the chemical composition, carbohydrates, protein fractionation and in vitro gas production of silages composed of spineless cactus and tropical forages and their effect on sheep performance. Treatments consisted of silages: corn silage (CS), spineless cactus silage (SCS), spineless cactus + gliricidia (SCG), spineless cactus + buffel grass silage (SCBG) and spineless cactus + pornunça (SCP). Silos were opened 60 days after ensiling, and analyses were carried out. The digestibility test lasted for 36 days, with eight animals per treatment. A completely randomized design was adopted. Considering carbohydrate fractionation, CS, SCS and SCBG silages had higher total carbohydrate content (p = 0.001). The SCS silage presented a higher A + B1 fraction (p = 0.001). The SCBG and SCG silages showed a higher B2 fraction (p < 0.0001) compared to the CS and SCS silages. The SCBG and SCP silages presented a higher C fraction (p = 0.001). For protein fractionation, the SCP and SCG silages showed higher crude protein contents (p = 0.001). The CS and SCS silages showed a higher A fraction (p = 0.001). The SCBG silage presented a higher B1 + B2 fraction (p = 0.001). The SCG silage showed a higher B3 fraction (p = 0.006) compared to SCBG silage. The SCS and SCP silages showed a higher C fraction (p = 0.001). Exclusive SCS silage showed higher in vitro dry matter digestibility (p = 0.001), dry matter degradability (p = 0.001) and total gas production (p = 0.001). The use of the SCBG, SCP and SCG silages to feed sheep increased the dry matter intake (p < 0.001). Sheep fed the SCG silage showed greater dry matter and crude protein digestibility compared to the sheep fed the CS, SCS and SCP silages (p = 0.002). There was a higher water intake (p < 0.001) with the use of the SCS and SCG silages to feed the sheep. The SCP and SCG silages provided a greater intake (p < 0.001) and excretion (p < 0.001) of nitrogen by the animals. Although there were no differences between the treatments for daily gains, lambs that received the spineless cactus-based silage associated with tropical forages showed higher gains (160-190 g/day) than lambs that received CS silage (130 g/day). Thus, the use of spineless cactus associated with buffelgrass, pornunça and gliricidia to prepare mixed silages (60:40) to feed sheep has potential use to feed sheep, with positive effects on nutrient degradation and increases in dry matter intake. Under experimental conditions, we recommend the exclusive use of spineless cactus silage associated with buffel grass, pornunça and gliricidia in feeding sheep in semi-arid regions, as it provides nutrients, water and greater daily gains compared to corn silage.

Carcass traits and meat quality of goats fed with cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica Mill) silage subjected to an intermittent water supply.

The effect of different proportions of cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica Mill) silage (CPS) and intermittent water supply (IWS) to crossbreed goats' diets on carcass traits and meat quality were evaluated. The IWS caused a reduction (p = 0.03) in the percentage of leg fat in the animals. The rib eye area, carcass weight, and physical-chemical characteristics were not affected (p > 0.05) by the CPS or IWS. The IWS reduced (p = 0.04) the elongase enzyme activity. The CPS inclusion in the diet reduced C22:0 (p = 0.01), some branched-chain fatty acid (BCFA), C20:1 (p = 0.03), c13-C18:1 (p = 0.01) fatty acids. Therefore, in situations of water scarcity, an intermittent water supply of up to 48 h and diets with up to 42% cactus pear silage, can be adopted in goat feedlot, without affecting carcass traits and meat quality.

Metabolic profile of goats fed diets containing crude glycerin from biodiesel production.

Feedlot finishing of goats is a growing practice, but the economic viability of this technology is compromised by the inclusion of ingredients such as corn and soybean. An alternative to minimize this barrier is the use of agroindustry coproducts as substitutes for those ingredients, such as crude glycerol. This study aimed to evaluated the metabolism of crossbred Boer finishing goats fed diets containing crude glycerin from biodiesel production. Thirty-two crossbred, castrated goat of age were distributed in a fully randomized experimental design with four treatments and eight replicates. The experiment lasted 69 days, and goats were fed sorghum silage and concentrate, with the inclusion of crude glycerin in the diet at levels of 0, 50, 100, and 150 g/kg on a dry matter basis. The diets did not have an effect (p > 0.05) on the serum urea levels. Increasing dietary crude glycerin levels did not the influence the metabolic or urinary profiles (p > 0.05). The liver tissue of the goats fed diets containing the highest crude glycerin inclusion levels showed deleterious effects. The inclusion of crude glycerin with approximately 6.6 g/kg methanol caused deleterious effects to the liver tissue of Boer crossbred goats as the glycerin concentrations increased. However, glycerin levels did not cause deleterious effects on the liver tissue or on the serum or urinary profiles. The use of crude glycerin with lower methanol content is recommended for goat diets.

Ensiling Sorghum with Urea, Aerobic Exposure and Effects on Intake, Digestibility, Ingestive Behaviour and Blood Parameters of Feedlot Lambs.

This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of ensiling sorghum silage with urea and amending the aerobic exposure nutrients intake and apparent digestibility, ingestive behaviour and blood serum metabolites of feedlot lambs. Forty uncastrated crossbred Dorper × Santa Inês lambs, aged 150 ± 15 days and with an initial body weight of 21.73 ± 2.40 kg, were used. Animals were assigned in a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement. Thus, six silage diets were produced with various urea addition levels (UA: 0 and 5 g/kg on a natural matter basis) and periods of aerobic exposure of silages (PAE: 0, 24 and 48 h). An effect was observed for nutrient intakes of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fibre corrected for ash and protein (NDFap) and total digestive nutrients TDN (g/day) and for the total apparent digestibility of DM, OM and CP. There was an interaction effect between urea levels and aerobic exposure for ether extract (EE) and NDFap intakes (g/kg) and nonfibrous carbohydrate (NFC) digestibility (g/kg) (p = 0.012). The addition of 5 g/kg of urea to sorghum ensilage improved the digestibility parameters without changing dry matter intake and ingestive behaviour. The addition or not of urea does not change the blood parameters of the animals.

Effect of crude glycerin levels on meat quality and carcass characteristics of crossbred Boer goats.

This study assessed the effects of four levels of crude glycerin (0, 50, 100, and 150 g/kg dry matter (DM) basis) in the diet of Boer crossbred goat kids on the qualitative and quantitative carcass characteristics as well as meat quality. Thirty-two crossbred, castrated Boer x undefined breed goat kids with an initial average weight of 17.8 ± 2.2 kg between 3 and 4 months of age were distributed across a complete randomized experiment with four treatments and eight replicates. The DM intake linearly decreased (p < .05) as the crude glycerin inclusion level in the diet increased. Crude glycerin levels decreased (linear effect, p < .05) empty body weight, hot dressing percentage, and cold dressing percentage. Conformation and subcutaneous fat thickness were not affected (p > .05) by dietary crude glycerin. Crude glycerin levels decreased (linear effect, p = .03) rib eye area of the Longissimus dorsi muscle, however, did not affect color, cooking loss, and shear force. The crude glycerin can be included up to 50 g/kg DM in the diet of crossbred Boer goats without negatively affecting carcass characteristics and meat quality. It can be recommended as an energy source in finishing diets.

Metabolizable Protein: 1. Predicting Equations to Estimate Microbial Crude Protein Synthesis in Small Ruminants.

Microbial crude protein (MCP) produced in rumen could be estimated by a variety of protocols of experimental sampling and analysis. However, a model to estimate this value is necessary when protein requirements are calculated for small ruminants. This model could be useful to calculate rumen degradable protein (RDP) requirements from metabolizable protein (MP). Then, our objective was to investigate if there is a difference in MCP efficiency between sheep and goats, and to fit equations to predict ruminal MCP production from dietary energy intake. The database consisted of 19 studies with goats (n = 176) and sheep (n = 316), and the variables MCP synthesis (g/day), total digestible nutrients (TDN), and organic matter (OM) intakes (g/day), and OM digestibility (g/kg DM) were registered for both species. The database was used for two different purposes, where 70% of the values were sorted to fit equations, and 30% for validation. A meta-analytical procedure was carried out using the MIXED procedure of SAS, specie was considered as the fixed dummy effect, and the intercept and slope nested in the study were considered random effects. No effect of specie was observed for the estimation of MCP from TDN, digestible Organic Matter (dOM), or metabolizable energy (ME) intakes (P > 0.05), considering an equation with or without an intercept. Therefore, single models including both species at the same fitting were validated. The following equations MCP (g/day) = 12.7311 + 59.2956 × TDN intake (AIC = 3,004.6); MCP (g/day) = 15.7764 + 62.2612 × dOM intake (AIC = 2,755.1); and MCP (g/day) = 12.7311 + 15.3000 × ME intake (AIC = 3,007.3) presented lower values for the mean square error of prediction (MSEP) and its decomposition, and similar values for the concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) and for the residual mean square error (RMSE) when compared with equations fitted without an intercept. The intercept and slope pooled test was significant for equations without an intercept (P < 0.05), indicating that observed and predicted data differed. In contrast, predicted and observed data for complete equations were similar (P > 0.05).

Carcass and meat traits of goats fed diets containing cottonseed cake.

The cottonseed cake has the necessary nutritional characteristics to be able to substitute the traditional ingredients (such as soybean meal) and reduce the costs of the diet. However, it is necessary to determine the best level of inclusion of cottonseed cake in the diets of fattening goats to improve meat production and quality. The objective of this study was to evaluate carcass and meat traits of feedlot goats fed diets containing cottonseed cake replacing soybean meal (33 %, 66 % and 100 %). Thirty-two uncastrated Boer crossbred goats (4 months old, 16  ±  2 kg initial body weight) were used in a completely randomized experimental design. Replacing soybean meal with cottonseed did not compromise ( P > 0.05 ) slaughter weight, carcass traits (dressing percentage, loin-eye area and back-fat thickness), primal cuts or carcass morphometric measurements; moisture, protein, or total lipid contents of meat; or the physicochemical traits of color ( L * , a * and b * coordinates), pH, shear force, and cooking loss. However, there was a reduction ( P = 0.001 ) in the mineral matter content (from 1.08 % to 0.97 %) and an increase ( P = 0.006 ) in the cholesterol content (from 50.85 to 70.55 mg/100 g of meat) of the meat as the dietary levels of cottonseed cake were increased. Based on the results of production and meat quality, we recommend using cottonseed cake as an alternative protein source to replace up to 100 % of soybean meal in feedlot goat diets.

Carcass traits and meat quality of lambs fed with cactus (Opuntia fícus-indica Mill) silage and subjected to an intermittent water supply.

The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of cactus silage and an intermittent water supply for lambs on carcass traits and meat quality. Thirty-six crossbreed lambs with an initial average weight of 19.8 ± 2.1 kg and average age of 6 months were randomly assigned to a 3 × 3 factorial design comprising three addition ratios of cactus silage to the diet (0, 21, and 42% based on dry matter) and three water supply intervals (0, 24, and 48 h) with four replicates. There was no interaction (P > 0.05) between the cactus silage ratio and intermittent water supply for any of the evaluated variables, with the exception of the yield of the half carcass commercial cuts. There was no significant effect of intermittent water supply (P > 0.05) on the carcass characteristics or meat quality. The addition of forage cactus silage as a substitute for Tifton hay affected the morphometric measurements (P < 0.05) and carcass compactness index (P < 0.05). The addition of 42% cactus silage to the diet increased (P < 0.05) the rib eye area (13.98 cm2). The addition of cactus silage as a substitute for Tifton hay positively affected (P < 0.05) the carcass weight of commercial cuts of the lambs. To the physical and chemical parameters of the Longissimus lumborum, the addition of 42% cactus silage to the diet reduced the color meat parameters (P < 0.05) and pH0 and 24h, cooking losses, and shear force were not affected (P > 0.05). The addition of forage cactus silage to the lambs' diet affected (P < 0.05) the composition of some saturated fatty acids in the meat. A water supply interval of up to 48 h does not influence carcass characteristics and meat quality. Therefore, the use of cactus silage can be recommended in situations of water scarcity without harming the production or meat quality of crossbreed lambs.

Mixed silages of cactus pear and gliricidia: chemical composition, fermentation characteristics, microbial population and aerobic stability.

The present study aimed to evaluate the chemical composition, profile and fermentative losses, microbial population and the aerobic stability of mixed silages of cactus pear and gliricidia. The treatments corresponded to the addition levels of gliricidia (Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Steud), in the silages of cactus pear (Opuntia ficus indica Mill.), at ratios 0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% gliricidia. The data were subjected to analysis of variance and regression to evaluate the effect of the addition levels of gliricidia. The average related to the opening days were compared by the Tukey's test and the average hours of exposure to air were compared by the Student's t-test. The addition of gliricidia in cactus pear silage provided a linear increasing effect for pH, crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF), acid detergent lignin (ADL), neutral detergent insoluble protein (NDIP), and increased aerobic stability (AS). The highest dry matter recovery was estimated in the silages with 58% gliricidia. Based on the fermentative, chemical composition and silage losses, all the silages tested were adequate. However, considering aerobic stability, the addition of at least 25% gliricidia is recommended to provide the animal a feed with important quality and high nutritional value.

Fermentative profile, losses and chemical composition of silage soybean genotypes amended with sugarcane levels.

The experiment aimed to evaluate the fermentative and nutritional profile of the silage of four soybean plant genotypes (BRS 333 RR, Pampeanas: C50, C60, and C70) ensiled with levels of sugarcane (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100%). The experiments were conducted in a completely randomized design, in factorial scheme 4 × 5 (four soybean genotypes and five levels of sugarcane inclusion) with four replicates. Silages with 100% soybean plant presented the highest levels of butyric acid (P < 0.001) and ammoniacal nitrogen (P < 0.047); however, the intermediate addition of sugarcane contributed to lactic fermentation (P < 0.001). Besides, there was a quadratic effect (P < 0.05) for the recovery of dry matter, which ranged from 83.28 to 95.29%, with higher values observed for silage with the same proportions of soybean plant and sugarcane. It was verified that the crude protein content exhibited decreasing linear effects (P < 0.001), varying among 4.60 to 7.48% in the silages. It was concluded that the highest recovery of dry matter, the best fermentation profile, and the highest levels of crude protein and digestibility occurred in the inclusion between 25 and 50% of sugarcane in soybean silage, with the superiority of the C50 soybean genotype.

Chitosan and cottonseed processing method association on carcass traits and meat quality of feedlot lambs.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the association of cottonseed processing method with chitosan on carcass traits and meat quality of lambs finished in feedlot. Eighty lambs with an average body weight of 20.6 kg, with 04 months of age, were distributed in a completely randomized design, in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement. The factors were represented by two cottonseed processing method (whole or ground) and two levels of chitosan (0 and 136 mg/kg BW). The association of cottonseed processing method with chitosan in the lamb diet did not affect (P>0.05) carcasses traits. The pH, color, cooking losses, shear force, and proximate composition of meat were also not affected (P>0.05) by the processing method of cottonseed or its association with chitosan in the lamb diets. There was an increase in palmitoleic (c9-C16:1; P = 0.01) and conjugated linoleic (P = 0.02) fatty acids when ground cottonseed was associated with chitosan. Ground cottonseed associated with chitosan increases the concentration of unsaturated fatty acids in the meat of feedlot lambs.

Does the level of forage neutral detergent fiber affect the ruminal fermentation, digestibility and feeding behavior of goats fed cactus pear?

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of forage neutral detergent fiber (fNDF) levels on the voluntary feed intake, digestibility, ruminal fermentation and feeding behavior of goats fed diets with cactus pear. Five non-lactating ruminally cannulated goats fed ad libitum were randomly assigned to a 5 × 5 Latin square design. Treatments consisted of levels of fNDF at 0, 109, 222, 339 and 463 g/kg of dry matter (DM) in cactus pear-based diets. The intakes of DM and NDF were quadratically affected (p â‰¦ .045) by fNDF levels. Voluntary water intake (VWI) increased linearly as the fNDF levels increased in the diet. The digestibility coefficients of organic matter, NDF and ether extract and total digestible nutrients concentration were quadratically affected (p â‰¦ .048) by fNDF levels. The ruminal pH linearly increased (p = .001) with fNDF levels, ranging from 5.44 to 5.81 for diets containing 0 and 463 g fNDF/kg DM, respectively. The fNDF levels promoted a linear increase (p = .006) in chewing time, linearly decreased (p = .007) resting time and quadratically affected (p = .033) rumination time. The inclusion of fNDF in the diets provided favorable conditions for ruminal function, digestibility and feeding behavior in goats fed diets containing cactus pear.