ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: This study was realized to evaluate the effects of supplementation with blends of water and fat-soluble vitamins on animal performance and carcass traits of young Nellore bulls. METHODS: Forty-three Nellore bulls, with an initial weight of 261±27.3 kg and a mean age of 8±1.0 months, were used. Five animals were slaughtered at the beginning of the experiment (reference group), to determine the initial empty body weight of the bulls that remained in the experiment. The remaining 38 bulls were fed ad libitum and distributed in a completely randomized design in a 2×2 factorial scheme, with or without supplementation of water-soluble (B-blend+ or B-blend-) and fat-soluble (ADE+ or ADE-) vitamin blends. Diets were isonitrogenous (120 g of crude protein/kg dry matter [DM] of total mixed ration) and consisted of a roughage:concentrate rate of 30:70 based on total DM of diet. The experiment lasted 170 days, with 30 days of adaptation and 140 days for data collection. At the beginning and end of the experimental period, the bulls were weighed to determine the average daily gain. To estimate the apparent digestibility of nutrients and microbial efficiency, spot collections of feces and urine were performed for five consecutive days. RESULTS: DM, ashes, organic matter, crude protein, ethereal extract, neutral detergent fiber corrected for residual ash and residual nitrogenous, and N intake and apparent digestibility were not influenced by vitamin supplementation, but total digestible nutrients intake and non-fibrous carbohydrates digestibility were influenced by B complex vitamin supplementation. Nitrogen balance, microbial efficiency, and performance data were not influenced (p>0.05) by vitamin supplementation. CONCLUSION: Vitamin supplementation (a blend of water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins or their combinations) does not influence the animal performance and carcass traits of young Nellore bulls.
ABSTRACT
An experiment was carried out to evaluate the effects of replacing corn with by-product from biscuit manufacture (BBM) on feed intake, digestibility, nitrogen balance, ingestive behavior, and growth performance of pure or crossbred Morada Nova sheep. Twenty-four non-castrated male lambs from two genetic groups (GG) were used: purebred red-coated Morada Nova (RMN) and red-coated Morada Nova x white-coated Morada Nova. Each GG had 12 lambs with an initial body weight (BW) of 15.0±0.84 and 18.8±0.88 kg for RMN and crossbred lambs, respectively. Treatments were distributed in a completely randomized design, according to a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement, as follows: two genetic groups (RMN and crossbred) and two diets (ground corn and by-product from biscuit manufacture-BBM) with six replicates. There was no effect (p > 0.05) of GG on feed intake (g/day and as a fraction of BW). Lambs fed BBM had a lower feed intake (p < 0.05) than corn-fed lambs, except for the non-fibrous carbohydrate intake, which did not differ among diets (p > 0.05). No effects (p > 0.05) of GG or diets were observed on apparent digestibility, except for organic matter, which was higher for BBM-fed lambs (p < 0.05). Intake and N urinary excretion were lower (p < 0.05) for BBM-fed lambs when compared to corn-fed lambs. There was no effect (p > 0.05) of GG on growth performance. On the other hand, lambs fed BBM diet had a higher (p < 0.05) feed efficiency than corn-fed lambs. Total replacing corn with BBM in finishing lamb diets increases the efficiency of nutrient utilization, which results in higher feed efficiency. The crossbreeding between the red- and white-coated strains of Morada Nova sheep does not affect nutritional and growth performance.
