Nutritive value of fermented soybean grains for ruminants.

Fermented soybean grain (FSBG) is considered improper to use as a protein source in animal nutrition, since it is assumed that defects cause changes on its chemical composition and favor mycotoxins production, but chemical composition data does not support this theory and in vivo studies are missing. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of FSBG in feedlot lamb diets. For that, two types of FSBG (partially fermented and completely fermented, PFSBG and CFSBG) and one standard soybean grain (SSBG) were obtained and evaluated alone or as a component of experimental diets by in vitro and in vivo studies, where FSBG totally replaced SSBG in feedlot lamb diets, which was included in the experimental diets in 17.4% on dry matter basis as protein source. Before the studies, both soybeans were sent to a specialized laboratory where no mycotoxins were detected. As a result, lower DM and carbohydrate contents but higher crude protein, fiber, and indigestible NDF contents were measured in CFSBG than in SSBG. Furthermore, both types of FSBG showed lower digestibility in vitro dry matter (IVDMD) than SSBG when evaluated separately; however, when evaluated in experimental diets, the substitution of SSBG for FSBG did not affect IVDMD. It was also observed that FSBG also had less rumen-degradable protein than SSBG (mean 47.9 vs 86.4%). In the in vivo study, FSBG did not affect nutrient intake, apparent digestibility, or animal performance (i.e., average daily gain and carcass gain). Thus, mycotoxins-free FSBG may be an alternative to totally replace SSBG in feedlot lamb diets.

Supplementation with different protein profiles for grazing beef cattle supplemented in tropical grass during the rainy-dry transition season.

The objective of this study was to evaluate increasing levels of inclusion of dry distillery grains (DDGs) in substitution of corn and urea in multiple supplements for beef cattle of Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu on the consumption, digestibility, and efficiency of microbial synthesis and use of nitrogen. We used four Nellore bulls cannulated in the rumen with an average age of 24 months and 445.12 ± 34.4 kg of body weight (BW), in a 4 × 4 Latin square design. Supplements differed by the inclusion level of DDG (0%, 31.5%, 63.0%, and 94.5%). Increasing levels of DDG inclusion decreased dry matter intake (DMI) (P = 0.002), forage (P = 0.002), organic matter (OM) (P = 0.001), crude protein (CP) (P = 0.037), and total digestible nutrients (TDN) (P < 0.001) and had a quadratic effect on the intake of non-fibrous carbohydrates (NFC) (P = 0.002). It was observed an increase in the digestibility of ether extract (EE) (P = 0.005), however a decrease in the digestibility of NFC (P = 0.001). Inclusion of DDG did not influence ruminal pH. There was a quadratic effect at collection times for ruminal ammoniacal nitrogen (P < 0.05), except for the supplement with 94.5% DDG where the effect was linear (P = 0.002). Nitrogen intake was 10.9% higher when there was no DDG in the supplement, compared with the supplement with 94.5% DDG (P = 0.039). The excretion of N by feces was greater when there was a greater amount of DDG in the supplement (P = 0.027), the opposite occurred with urine excretion of N, being higher when there was less amount of DDG in the supplement (P = 0.027). Increasing levels of DDG did not affect ruminal microbial protein yield (P > 0.05). Replacing corn and urea with up to 94.5% DDGs in multiple supplements resulted in no adverse effect efficiency of microbial synthesis, although nutrient intake, total digestible nutrients, and use of nitrogen were reduced at 94.5% DDG inclusion.

Clitoria ternatea L. as a Potential High Quality Forage Legume.

Samples of Clitoria ternatea L. (Cunhã) were harvested at 35, 50, 70, and 90 d after a uniformity harvest in a field study designed as a completely randomized design with a total of 18 experimental plots. The dry matter yield of the whole plant was separated quantitatively into leaves, stems, and pods at each harvesting age. Chemical analyses and in vitro gas production kinetics were performed to assess the quality of the plant parts. Yields, chemical composition, and estimates of gas production parameters were analyzed by fitting a mixed statistical model with two types of covariance structures as follows: variance components and an unrestricted structure with heterogeneous variances. Fast and slow gas yielding pools were detected for both leaves and stems, but only a single pool was detected for pods. The homoscedasticity assumption was more likely for all variables, except for some parameters of the gas production kinetics of leaves and stems. There was no presence of typical pods at 35 and 50 d. In the leaves, the fibrous fractions were affected, whereas the non-fibrous fractions were unaffected by the harvesting age. The harvesting age affected the majority of the chemical constituents and gas kinetic parameters related to the stems. The leaves of this legume were the least affected part by the aging process.