Effect of quantitative feed restriction and sex class on sheep skin quality.

The aim was to evaluate the quality of the sheep skin of different sex classes submitted to different levels of feed restriction. Sheep without defined racial pattern of different sex classes (15 non-castrated males, 15 castrated males and 15 females), with initial body weight of 18.1 ± 0.4 kg and mean age of 90 days were distributed in a factorial 3 × 3, with three sex classes and 3 levels of feed restriction (ad libitum intake and restricted intake at 70 and 80%), with 5 repetitions. After slaughter, the skins were collected for physical-mechanical tests. The effect of the sex classes x levels of dietary restriction interaction was observed for transverse thickness and longitudinal rupture elongation (p < 0.05). Animals fed ad libitum had greater longitudinal transverse thickness (p < 0.05). Animals fed ad libitum and 70% feed restriction showed greater transverse elongation at break (p < 0.05). As for the difference between sex classes in the transverse thickness variable for tearing strength, the interaction sex classes x levels of feed restriction for transverse thickness, longitudinal thickness, transverse tearing strength and longitudinal tearing strength occurred (p < 0.05). Feed restriction reduces the physical quality of the skin of sheep of different sex classes, and the use of castrated male sheep in positive energy balance is recommended to obtain leather with greater thickness, longitudinal rupture elongation and transverse tear strength.

Interaction between residual feed intake and thermal environment on performance, nitrogen balance, ingestive behavior and carcass yield of dorper lambs.

Residual feed intake (RFI) is a nutritional variable used in genetic improvement programs, the relationship between the environment and the availability of energy and protein in the diet has not yet been explored. Thus, the aim was to evaluate interactions between RFI and thermal environment on performance, nitrogen balance, ingestive behavior and carcass yield of Dorper lambs receiving diets containing different concentrate levels. Dorper lambs (male, n = 64, 17.83 ± 2.43 kg and 110 ± 10 days of age) were confined individually for 40 days for RFI classification. Lambs were separated into positive RFI (n = 30) and negative RFI (n = 30) and remained confined for another 60 days. The animals were distributed in a randomized block design, with a 2 × 2 × 3 factorial scheme, with 2 confinement environments (full sun or shade), 2 groups of feed efficiency (RFI positive or RFI negative) and three diets containing different concentrate levels (30, 45 and 60%), with 5 replications in each treatment. Isolated effects of concentrate level were observed for dry matter intake and digestibility, feeding, rumination, idle and chewing times, feeding efficiency, ingested, excreted and absorbed nitrogen, and on cooling losses, hot and cold carcass yield (P < 0.05). There was an effect of environment × concentrate interaction on performance, retained nitrogen and nitrogen balance (P < 0.05). There was an effect of RFI × environment interaction on the dry matter rumination efficiency, hot and cold carcass weight (P < 0.05). Under experimental conditions, RFI did not influence the productive performance of Dorper lambs. Interactions between environment and diet indicate better performance for Dorper lamb confined in the shade and receiving a higher proportion of concentrate. Animals with negative RFI show better performance and carcass weight when confined in shade, while animals with positive RFI showed better responses to these variables when confined in full sun.

Changes in the physiological, hematological and parasitological parameters of Dorper sheep in relation to residual feed intake and confinement environment.

The selection of animals with greater feed efficiency has unknown parasitological and physiological parameters when confined in full sun or shade. Thus, we aimed to assess the effect of residual feed intake (RFI) and the confinement environment on the hematological, parasitological and physiological parameters in male Dorper sheep (n = 60; 30 with positive RFI and 30 with negative RFI) distributed in 2 confinement environments (full sun and shade), in a 2 × 2 factorial scheme, with 15 animals for treatment. Animals kept in the shade showed an increase (P < 0.05) of erythrocytes, hemoglobin and albumin. Animals kept in full sun showed higherOocysts gamma glutamyltransferase, direct bilirubin, transaminase aspartate and respiratory rate (P<0.05). There was a higher incidence of Eimeria spp oocysts in RFI negative animals (P<0.05). Positive RFI animals increased respiratory rate (P<0.05). The RFI did not influence the blood parameters of Dorper sheep, however, it had an effect on respiratory rate and presence of Eimeria spp. oocysts. Thermal environment promoted changes in blood parameters and the physiological parameters of Dorper sheep.

Non-invasive methods to quantify the carcass parameters of sheep: Interaction between thermal environment and residual feed intake.

The thermal environment is important in unit production because the perception of thermal stress can reduce fertility, and productive performance, therefore its management is necessary. The use of non-invasive methods, such as infrared thermography and real-time ultrasonography, are widely used to evaluate indicators in animal production, without the need to slaughter the animals. Thus, we aimed to assess the effect of the thermal environment on the physiological parameters and carcass characteristics of Dorper sheep with positive and negative residual feed intake (RFI) using infrared thermography and real-time ultrasonography techniques. Twenty uncastrated male Dorper sheep (17.8 ± 2.4 kg) were confined for 40 days for RFI classification. Sheep were separated into positive RFI (n = 10) and negative RFI (n = 10). The experimental design was in randomized blocks, in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement, with 2 thermal environments (full sun or shade) and two feed efficiency groups (positive RFI or negative RFI), with 5 replications. The sheep remained in confinement for 60 days. The animals were slaughtered at the end of the experiment and the carcasses dissected for tissue separation. Rectal temperature (RT) and respiratory rate (RR) were measured at two times (14:00 h and 18:00 h) for periods of 5 days. The RR was determined by indirect auscultation of heart sounds at the level of the laryngotracheal region. The RT was measured introduced a digital clinical thermometer into the animal's rectum. Surface temperature (ST) was obtained using a thermographic infrared camera, collecting the temperatures of the eyeball and skin surface in the regions of the head, ribs, rump, flank and shin. Sheep confined in full sun showed higher RR (P = 0.0001), ST ribs (P = 0.0020), ST rumb (P = 0.0055), ST flank (P = 0.0001) and heat tolerance coefficient (HTC) (P = 0.0010). For sheep confined in full sun, a strong correlation was observed between the RR and the mean ST (MST; r = 0.6826; P = 0.0236) and between the final loin eye area (LEAf) with the real LEA (LEAr) (r = 0.9263; P = 0.0001) and slaughter body weight (SBW) (r = 0.7532; P = 0.0325). For negative RFI sheep, a positive correlation was observed between the RR and the ST rump (r = 0.7343; P = 0.0025) and ST ribs (r = 0.6560; P = 0.0178) and the MST (r = 0.7435; P = 0.0001), between the MST and the LEAr (r = 0.6837; P = 0.0025) and the final LEA (r = 0.6771; P = 0.0144), and between the final LEA and LEAr (r = 0.9942; P = 0.0001), BW (r = 0.8415; P = 0.0277) and MST (r = 0.6771; P = 0.0045). Positive RFI sheep confined to shade showed a high correlation between final LEA and LEAr (r = 0.9372; P = 0.0001). The use of shading in confined Dorper sheep, regardless of the RFI classification, reduces the effects of heat stress on physiological parameters.

Condensed tannins to increase bioactive fatty acids in the milk from Canindé, Repartida, and Saanen goats.

Bioactive fatty acids present in goat milk have the ability to reduce the risks of coronary heart disease in humans, and condensed tannins (CT) can modulate the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) biohydrogenation process in the rumen and consequently increase the levels of these fatty acids. Thus, the objective was to evaluate the inclusion of CT in the diet for Canindé, Repartida, and Saanen goats to increase the level of bioactive fatty acids in milk. Twenty-two lactating does of three genetic groups, six Canindé, eight Repartida, and eight Saanen, were randomly assigned in a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement of three genetic groups and two diets (control and with 50 g CT/kg DM). The inclusion of CT in the diet did not change (P > 0.05) nutrient intake and performance. However, the inclusion of CT promoted an increase (P < 0.05) in C14:1; cis-9; C18:2n6; C18:3n6; C18:3n3; PUFA; and long-chain fatty acids and reduction (P < 0.05) of C11; C12; C14; ω6/ω3; and atherogenicity index in milk fat. Thus, it is recommended to include CT in the diet for Canindé, Repartida, and Saanen goats to increase the level of bioactive fatty acids in milk. The inclusion of the tannins of Acacia mearnsii promoted an increase in C14:1; cis-9; C18:2n6; C18:3n6; C18:3n3; polyunsaturated fatty acid; and long-chain fatty acids and reduction of C11; C12; C14; ω6/ω3; and atherogenicity index in milk fat.

Histological and physical-mechanical characteristics of the skin of Dorper sheep related to residual feed intake and the confinement environment.

The aim was to evaluate the effect of residual feed intake (RFI) on the histological, physical and mechanical characteristics of the sheep skin confined in full sun or shade. Dorper sheep (n = 64), male, with an initial bodyweight of 17.8 ± 2.43 kg was confined for 40 days to determine the RFI. After classification, 30 animals with positive RFI and 30 animals with negative RFI were selected, which were distributed in 2 confinement environments. This was a factorial arrangement of 2 (groups of animals-positive RFI and negative RFI) × 2 (environments-full sun and shade), with 15 animals for each combination of factors. The sheep remained in confinement for 60 days. After slaughter, skins were divided in half, and fragments were collected from the right portion for histological sections. The left part of each skin was subjected to tanning. Interaction effect RFI × environment was found in the evaluation of leather fragments in the horizontal direction on elongation at break, leather thickness and tear strength (p < 0.05). An isolated effect of the environment was found on elongation at break of leather fragments in the evaluation on the vertical direction (p = 0.01) and on the number of secondary follicles during the histological evaluation of the dorsal and lateral regions of the skin (p < 0.05). An effect of the interaction RFI × environment was observed for the thermostatic layer of the hip region (p = 0.03). Sheep with positive RFI and kept in confinement in full sun have a leather with greater elongation at break and tear strength, important aspects in determining the quality of the product by the leather industry.

Probiotic potential of Enterococcus hirae in goat milk and its survival in canine gastrointestinal conditions simulated in vitro.

In canine nutrition, the use of goat nutraceutical dairy products is an innovative proposal. Therefore, the objective of this study was to prepare fermented goat milk with probiotic potential in dogs in an in vitro model. A total of 40 lactic acid bacteria (LAB) species were grown, of which 30 were CAP isolates originally from goat milk and 10 were CAN isolates originally from fecal material of newborn dogs. The isolates were selected based on resistance to the simulated canine gastrointestinal condition and acidifying ability. After this preliminary screening, the analyses were performed regarding ß-galactosidase and exopolysaccharide formation, diacetyl production, adhesion proteins Mub and mapa, hydrophobicity, DPPH assay, virulence and antibiotic resistance. With these evaluations, four LAB isolates were identified using sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. These were identified as Enterococcus hirae and were used to produce fermented goat milk. For statistical analysis, the data were analyzed using the Scott-Knott test and also submitted to analysis of variance and the Tukey test (P < 0.05). In the evaluation of goat milk fermented with E. hirae and control, over the 36-day storage period there was a reduction in pH and an increase in acidity, and higher levels of LAB were observed in goat milk fermented with E. hirae. Therefore, both these E. hirae isolates and the fermented goat milk produced showed satisfactory results in vitro, demonstrating probiotic efficiency and food safety for dogs.

Sodium hydroxide or urea pretreatment of acerola (Malpighia emarginata) fruit residue increases dry matter degradability and reduces methane production in in vitro rumen fermentation.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of adding different concentrations of either urea or NaOH in dehydrated acerola (Malpighia emarginata) fruit residue (DAFR) on chemical composition, in vitro rumen degradability, and gas and methane production. A completely randomized design was used with the following seven treatments: control, without chemical treatment, or pretreatment of DAFR with urea or NaOH at 20, 40, or 60 g/kg dry matter (DM). DM degradability and gas and methane production of DAFR were evaluated by semi-automated in vitro gas production technique. DAFR treated with urea or NaOH at concentrations of 40 and 60 g/kg DM decreased its neutral detergent fiber (P = 0.0115) and lignin (P < 0.0001) content, and this reduction was greater with the highest concentration (60 g/kg DM). In all tested concentrations, urea and NAOH were effective to increase the DM effective degradability of DAFR compared with the control treatment, although treatments with a concentration of 60 g/kg DM presented the highest values (P < 0.0001). Treatment of DAFR with NaOH or urea at 60 g/kg DM promotes greater lignin solubilization and DM degradability and lower gas and methane production in in vitro rumen fermentation.

Diets containing cunhã (Clitoria ternatea L.) hay and forage cactus (Opuntia sp.) meal on production and meat quality of Boer crossbred goat.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of association of forage cactus meal (CM) and cunhã hay (CH) on carcass traits, meat quality, and fatty acid (FA) profile of goats. Twenty-four goats were finished on diets composed with the association of CM and CH (83% CH + 17% CM, 67% CH + 33% CM, or 50% CH + 50% CM), corresponding to 60% of the total diet; the remainder was composed of 10% elephant grass and 30% concentrate. The control treatment consisted of 70% elephant grass and 30% concentrate. Carcass yield and commercial cut weight were higher in the animals fed CH and CM at any concentration (P < 0.05). Animals fed with intermediate and high CM content resulted in meat with better proportions of unsaturated FA (P = 0.0281), desirable FA (P = 0.0024), omega 6/omega 3 ratio (P = 0.0340), and hypo-/hypercholesterolemic index (P = 0.0140). The inclusion of CH and CM provided carcass yield and FA profile more favorable for consumer market and human health.

Use of bean meal (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in goat rations for meat production.

Bean meal (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) may be a viable alternative in ruminant feeding, mainly as a source of protein due to its high crude protein content. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of substitution of cottonseed cake (Gossypium hirsutum) with different levels of bean meal in goat feedlot rations on dry matter intake, digestibility, feeding behavior, performance, carcass characteristics, and hematological parameters. Twenty castrated male Repartida goats with an average initial weight of 14.7 ± 2.0 kg were allocated in a randomized block design with four treatments. The initial body weight was used to define the blocks. The treatments were different substitution levels of cottonseed cake by bean meal (0, 27.75, 64.63, and 100%) in the concentrate on a dry matter basis. The diets had a roughage:concentrate ratio of 50:50. Chopped elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum) was used as roughage, while the concentrate was composed of ground corn, mineral mix, and different levels of bean meal and cottonseed cake. There were no treatment effects on dry matter intake, feed conversion, slaughter weight, carcass weight and yield, non-carcass component yield, and hematological parameters (P > 0.05). However, for both dry matter digestibility (P = 0.001) and daily weight gain (P < 0.001), there was a negative quadratic relationship between cottonseed cake and bean meal content in the diet. Bean meal can be used in goat diets to replace cottonseed cake as the only source of protein concentrate, since it did not affect the main performance characteristics.

Intake, digestibility, growth performance, and enteric methane emission of Brazilian semiarid non-descript breed goats fed diets with different forage to concentrate ratios.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the intake, digestibility, growth performance, and enteric methane emissions of Brazilian semiarid non-descript breed goats (NDG) fed diets with different forage:concentrate ratios (100:0, 80:20, 60:40, 40:60, and 20:80) on a dry matter basis. Forty uncastrated male NDG with an average initial body weight of 13.3 kg ± 4.7 kg were distributed in a completely randomized design, with five treatments and eight replications. Ground Tifton-85 hay was used as forage and ground corn and soybean meal were used as concentrate. The sulfur hexafluoride tracer technique was used to measure methane emissions. The intake of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, and ether extract increased linearly while the intake of neutral detergent fiber decreased linearly as the concentrate proportion increased (P < 0.05). The digestibility of dry matter and organic matter increased while the digestibility of neutral detergent fiber decreased as the concentrate level increased (P < 0.05). There were linear increases in final body weight, total weight gain, average daily gain, and feed efficiency (P < 0.0001). Methane emissions per unit of body weight (ranging from 1.9 to 0.5 g/kg), metabolic body weight (ranging from 3.9 to 1.2 g/kg), and dry matter intake (ranging from 58.8 to 21.9 g/kg) reduced linearly as the concentrate proportion increased (P < 0.01). Decreasing the forage to concentrate ratio in the diet decreased methane emission and increased growth performance of NDG. The 80:20 ratio could be considered more appropriate to reduce methane emissions from NDG, which did not change much at higher levels of concentrate.

Detoxified castor meal in substitution of soybean meal in sheep diet: growth performance, carcass characteristics and meat yield.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the intake, digestibility, performance, and carcass characteristics of lambs fed different levels of replacement (0, 15, 30, and 45 % based on dry matter, DM) of soybean meal (SM) by detoxified castor meal (DCM). Twenty-four and 32 intact hair lambs of nondescript breed (21.7 ± 2.6 kg of initial average body weight and approximately 10 months old) were used, respectively, in the intake and digestibility and performance experiments. The diets were composed of buffel grass hay, ground corn grain, and different levels of SM, DCM, and urea, in a roughage-to-concentrate ratio of 40:60. There was no effect of treatments on DM intake. However, crude protein (CP) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) intakes were higher at 30 and 45 % than at 0 and 15 % of DCM, which in turn showed higher intake of non-fiber carbohydrates (NFC) (P < 0.05). The organic matter, CP, and NDF digestibilities were not affected, but the digestibility of NFC was lower at 30 and 45 % than at 0 % of DCM (P < 0.05). The average daily gain, feed conversion, slaughter and carcass weights, chilling losses, ribeye area, and absolute values and yields of neck, ribs, loin, and leg were not affected. However, the carcass yield was lower at 45 % of DCM and the absolute value of shoulder was lower at 30 and 45 % of DCM (P < 0.05). The replacement of SM by DCM up to 45 % in the feed of lambs did not negatively affect the intake, digestibility, performance, and main carcass features.

Mango tree pruning hay in substitution of elephant grass in cattle diet.

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of different levels of substitution (0, 33.3, 66.7, and 100 %) of elephant grass by hay of mango tree pruning (HMTP) on intake and digestibility in cattle and on the in vitro gas production. Moreover, the effect of tannin in HMTP on the gas production and in vitro degradability of the dry matter was evaluated, using polyethylene glycol (PEG). The intake and digestibility were evaluated in a double 4 × 4 square Latin design, using eight Holstein intact bulls. To evaluate the gas production and degradability, in vitro semi-automated gas production technique was used. The substitution of elephant grass by HMTP decreased the intake (P<0.05) and the digestibility (P<0.05) of the nutrients and also the gas production (P<0.05). Furthermore, the utilization of PEG as a tannin-complexing agent increased the gas production and degradability of the HMTP (P<0.05). It was concluded that the high cell wall lignification and the presence of tannin limit the use of HMTP as the only source of roughage in cattle diets.