Performance and macrophage activity of broilers fed with a sorghum meal with different yeast wall levels

The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of broiler breeders' age and yeast wall (YW) levels on broilers' performance and macrophage activitys. The experiment consisted in a completely randomized design and a 2 X 5 factorial arrangement and two controls of two broiler breeders age (34 and 57 weeks of age) and five YW levels (zero, one, two, three or four kg of YW/ton of diet). They received sorghum diet compared to a control corn/soybean meal diet. The age of the broiler breeders influenced the performance, but did not affect macrophage activity. At 34 weeks age broiler breeders' progeny, all diets were similar considering the average weight. For 57 weeks age broiler breeders' progeny, at 21 days, only average weight of sorghum diet supplemented with 4 kg/ton was similar to corn diet results. The optimum level of YW for maximal macrophage activity was 2.06 kg/ton of meal.

Lysine and metabolyzable energy requirements of lactating sows for subsequent reproductive performance

The requirements of lactating sows for total lysine and metabolyzable energy (ME) to support subsequent reproduction performance were evaluated. One hundred and twenty sows were used. The treatments were constituted of eight diets (factorial arrangement of four levels of total lysine: 0.75, 0.90, 1.05 and 1.20 percent, and two levels of ME: 3,250 and 3,400 kcal ME/kg). There was interaction between lysine and ME on the plasma urea nitrogen (PUN), with linear decrease effect on level of 3,250 kcal ME/kg, and quadratic effect on level of 3,400 kcal ME/kg, with the lowest level of PUN with 1.06 percent lysine. The reproductive performance in the subsequent farrowing was not affected by the lysine levels and ME, hence, neither the total born nor the born alive differed among the treatments. There was no convincing information to support that the requirements of total lysine and ME for lactating sows were higher than 0.75 percent and 3,250 kcal/kg.

Foram avaliadas as exigências de lisina total e energia metabolizável (EM) para porcas em lactação visando o desempenho reprodutivo subseqüente. Cento e vinte porcas foram utilizadas. Os tratamentos foram constituídos de oito dietas (arranjo fatorial de quatro níveis de lisina: 0,75; 0,90; 1,05 e 1,20 por cento e dois níveis de EM: 3.250 e 3.400 kcal EM/kg). Houve interação entre lisina e EM quanto ao nitrogênio da uréia plasmática (NUP), com diminuição linear para o nível de 3.250 kcal EM/kg e efeito quadrático para o nível de 3.400 kcal EM/kg, com o menor concentração de NUP em 1,06 por cento de lisina. O Desempenho reprodutivo no parto subseqüente não foi afetado pelos níveis de lisina e EM, assim como o número de leitões nascidos totais ou vivos diferiu entre os tratamentos. Não houve informações convincentes de que as exigências de lisina total e EM para porcas em lactação sejam maiores que 0,75 por cento e 3.250 kcal EM/kg.