Spatial variability of the occurrence of lesions on cattle carcasses in association with pre-slaughter factors in the forest-savannah transition zone

This study mapped cattle carcass lesions and associated the isoline maps with the occurrence factors of these lesions. Isoline maps were drawn by common kriging. The associated occurrence factors were the layout of the boards in the crowding tub (CT), characteristics of the hauling truck (general state and the presence of loose and/or sharp boards), broken boards in the corral (BBC), type of road covered (TRC), and animal falls upon unloading at the slaughterhouse (FAUS). The BBC showed a higher number of carcass lesions in the rib region. The data on FAUS and deterioration of hauling trucks fit an exponential model, with more carcass lesions in the rib and hindquarters, and plate regions, respectively. The data on spaced boards in the CT and TRC (mixed) showed greater carcass lesions in the rib region. Therefore, this method provides important information about the spatial distribution of lesions in bovine carcasses, and the drawing sheet used is adequate to represent such lesions.(AU)

Nutritional effects of using cactus cladodes (Opuntia stricta Haw Haw) to replace sorghum silage in sheep diet.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of replacing the sorghum silage in sheep diet with cactus cladodes [CC - Opuntia stricta (Haw) Haw] on dry matter and its compound intake and digestibility, feeding behavior, and nitrogen balance. The diets consisted of five replacement levels [0, 200, 400, 600, and 800 g/kg on a dry matter (DM) basis] and were formulated to be isonitrogenous [140 g/kg crude protein [CP], considering the ingredients' composition, with a roughage/concentrate ratio of 65:35, on a DM basis. Five uncastrated crossbred sheep, with an average body weight of 52.9 ± 6.0 kg, were assigned to a 5 × 5 Latin square. The trial lasted for 105 days with five consecutive 21-day periods, divided into 14-day adaptation and 7-day sampling periods. Dry matter (DM), organic matter, non-fiber carbohydrate (NFC), total digestible nutrient intake, and DM and NFC digestibility, increased (P ≤ 0.04) with the replacement of sorghum silage by CC. However, the time spent feeding and ruminating decreased, while idle time increased (P ≤ 0.03). Only feeding and rumination efficiency of DM improved (P ≤ 0.01) with the replacement, whereas feeding and rumination efficiency of neutral detergent fiber corrected to ash and protein did not. Nitrogen intake and nitrogen balance were not influenced, and urinary volume increased (P ≤ 0.01) with the addition of CC in the diet. In conclusion, we recommend replacing 80% of the sorghum silage with CC in sheep diets (with 35% concentrate), as CC was found to substantially increase the intake of nutrients, primarily energy.

Suplementación parenteral con cobre y zinc en bovinos Brahman en crecimiento en la región sur occidental de Venezuela / Copper and Zinc Parenteral Supplementation in Growing Brahman Cattle in the West-Southern region of Venezuela

Con el objetivo de evaluar el efecto de la suplementación parenteral con cobre y zinc sobre la ganancia de peso (GDP), incremento en medidas corporales y variables hematológicas, se utilizaron hembras (n=33) y machos (n=34) Brahman con un peso de 165 y 186 kg, respectivamente, los cuales fueron reagrupados y asignados a cuatro tipos de suplementación de ambos sexos cada uno: 1) suplementación mineral oral (SMO); 2) SMO más cobre inyectado (SMO-Cu); 3) SMO más zinc inyectado (SMOZn); y 4) SMO más cobre y zinc inyectados (SMO-Cu-Zn). El suplemento mineral oral (50 g/animal/día) contenía 500 ppm de Cu y 2.200 ppm de Zn. El Cu y Zn se suministraron por vía parenteral subcutánea al inicio del experimento, en una dosis única de 50 y 57,35 mg/100 kg de PV, respectivamente. Cada 28 días se registró el peso y se tomaron muestras de sangre, para hematocrito (Hct) y hemoglobina (Hb). Se midió la altura a la cruz (AC), altura a la grupa (AG) y perímetro torácico (PT), al inicio y al final del experimento. Este tuvo una duración de 120 días entre diciembre y abril. Los animales se manejaron bajo pastoreo rotacional en potreros de Brachiaria decumbens y B. humidicola, con una carga animal promedio de 1,22 UA/ha. La GDP no fue afectada por los tratamientos con un valor promedio global de 101,1 g/animal/día. Los grupos no inyectados con zinc tuvieron mayor incremento de AC (5,1 cm) que los restantes grupos (P<0,05). Los incrementos en AG y PT no fueron afectados por los tratamientos, con medias de 4,83 y 6,53 cm, respectivamente. Se concluye que la suplementación mineral parenteral no mejoró la GDP y los incrementos en medidas corporales, bajo las condiciones experimentales descritas, cuando los animales consumían forrajes bajos en proteína y ligeramente elevados en Fe y Mn.

In order to evaluate the effect of Copper and Zinc parenteral supplementation on average daily gain (ADG), increases in body measurements and hematological values, growing Brahman females (n = 33) and males (n = 34) were used, with body weight of 165 and 186 kg respectively, which were grouped into four sets of both sexes and assigned to four types of supplementation: 1) oral mineral supplementation (OMS), 2) OMS and copper injected (OMS-Cu), 3) OMS and zinc injected (OMS-Zn), and 4) OMS, copper and zinc injected (OMS-Cu-Zn). The oral mineral supplement (50 g/animal/day) contained 500 ppm Cu and 2,200 ppm Zn. Copper and Zn were applied by subcutaneous injection at the beginning of the experiment in a single dose of 50 and 57.35 mg/100 kg of BW, respectively. Every 28 days, body weight was recorded and blood samples were taken for hematocrit (Hct) and hemoglobin (Hb) analysis. Wither height (WH), hip height (HH) and girth chest (GC) were measured at the beginning and end of the experiment. The experiment lasted 120 days between December and April. The animals were managed under rotational grazing in pastures of Brachiaria decumbens and B. humidicola, with a stocking rate of 1.22 AU/ha. Average daily gain was not affected by treatments with an overall average value of 101.1 g/animal/day. The groups with no Zn injected had a greater increase in WH (5.1 cm) than the other groups (P<0.05). The increases in HH and GC were not affected by treatments, with averages of 4.83 and 6.53 cm, respectively. It is concluded that parenteral mineral supplementation did not improve ADG and increases in body measurements, under the experimental conditions described, when animals consume forages low in protein and slightly higher in Fe and Mn.