This study aimed to test the hypothesis that peanut cake can substitute for soybean meal in the feed of ruminants on the basis of the intake, performance, digestion, and serum urea and glucose concentration in crossbred Boer × indigenous goat kids. Forty intact vaccinated and dewormed crossbred Boer × indigenous goat kids (average age = 5 mo, average BW = 15.6 ± 2.7 kg) were used. The goats were fed Tifton-85 (Cynodon dactylon) hay and concentrate mixes of corn bran, soybean meal, premix mineral, and peanut cake substituted for soybean meal at rates of 0.0%, 33.33%, 66.67%, and 100%. The animals were confined for 62 d, and the digestibility trial was performed from d 27 to 31 of confinement. Samples of orts and feces were quantified and collected from each animal during this period. On the d 32 of confinement, a blood sample was taken from animals to measure urea N and glucose. Data were analyzed with a regression model. Substitution of soybean meal with peanut cake in the diet of the animals resulted in a reduction in intake of DM (P = 0.02), CP (P = 0.03), NDF (P = 0.03), nonfiber carbohydrate (NFC; P = 0.01), and TDN (P = 0.02) and an increase in intake of ether extract (P < 0.001). The total and daily average weight gains decreased (P = 0.02) with substitution, whereas G:F was not influenced (P = 0.11). With the exception of ether extract digestibility, which increased (P < 0.001) with substitution, digestibility of DM (P = 0.13), OM (P = 0.18), CP (P = 0.54), NDF (P = 0.20), and NFC (P = 0.73) was not influenced by diets. The concentration of serum urea N was influenced quadratically by the postprandial time for treatments with 33.33%, 66.67%, and 100.00% substitution. Peanut cake is not a complete, equal substitute for soybean meal in goat feed. However, peanut cake may represent an eventual replacer able to reduce goat producers' dependence on traditional ingredients in the feed of growing goat kids.

Silagem de capim-elefante aditivada com produtos alternativos - doi: 10.4025/actascianimsci.v33i4.12629

The intake of the dry matter (DM), the crude protein (CP) and the metabolizable energy intake (ME) in megacalories per day (Mcal/day) were not affected by the diets. In contrast, the intake of neutral detergent fiber (NDF), in g/kg BW, increased linearly. An increasing linear effect was also observed for the ether extract (EE) intake, whereas a decreasing linear performance was observed for the non-fibrous carbohydrate (NFC) intake. The digestibility of DM, organic matter and NFC decreased linearly with the sunflower cake inclusion, whereas the digestibility of CP, NDF, and EE were not influenced by the diets. No effect was observed for the concentration of serum glucose or urea nitrogen serum. No effect was observed on the urea nitrogen serum in the hours after feeding; however, including sunflower cake in the diets resulted in a quadratic performance for the serum glucose concentrations in the hours after feeding. The average daily gain (ADG) had a decreasing linear effect, and the food conversions of the DM, CP, NDF, NFC and ME had increasing linear effects. The feeding costs decreased with the level of sunflower cake

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Streptococcus bovis on the fermentation characteristics and nutritive value of Tanzania grass silage. Tanzania grass was chopped and left untreated (U) or treated with Streptococcus bovis JB1 at 1 × 106 colony-forming units per gram (cfu/g) of fresh forage or Streptococcus bovis HC5 at 1 × 106 cfu/g of fresh forage and packed into sixtuplicate laboratory silos. The largest number of enterobacteria, molds and yeast (M&Y) occurred in untreated silages and the smallest populations of enterobacteria and M&Y and the largest numbers of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), at 9.81 and 9.87 log cfu/g, were observed in Streptococcus bovis JB1 and HC5, respectively (). Silages treated with JB1 and HC5 had lower () silage pHs and concentrations of ammoniacal nitrogen (NH3-N) than untreated silages. The application of Streptococcus bovis JB1 and HC5 resulted in fewer losses through gases and effluents (), which resulted in greater dry matter recovery (DMR) and crude protein recovery (CPR) (). Streptococcus bovis JB1 and HC5 improved the fermentative profile and increased the concentration of crude protein and DMR and CPR in Tanzania grass silage. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Streptococcus bovis on the fermentation characteristics and nutritive value of Tanzania grass silage. Tanzania grass was chopped and left untreated (U) or treated with Streptococcus bovis JB1 at 1 × 106 colony-forming units per gram (cfu/g) of fresh forage or Streptococcus bovis HC5 at 1 × 106 cfu/g of fresh forage and packed into sixtuplicate laboratory silos. The largest number of enterobacteria, molds and yeast (M&Y) occurred in untreated silages and the smallest populations of enterobacteria and M&Y and the largest numbers of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), at 9.81 and 9.87 log cfu/g, were observed in Streptococcus bovis JB1 and HC5, respectively (). Silages treated with JB1 and HC5 had lower () silage pHs and concentrations of ammoniacal nitrogen (NH3-N) than untreated silages. The application of Streptococcus bovis JB1 and HC5 resulted in fewer losses through gases and effluents (), which resulted in greater dry matter recovery (DMR) and crude protein recovery (CPR) (). Streptococcus bovis JB1 and HC5 improved the fermentative profile and increased the concentration of crude protein and DMR and CPR in Tanzania grass silage.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the agronomic traits in the pre- and post-grazing and the nitrogen use efficiency of Piatã grass that was subjected to nitrogen fertilization throughout the seasons of the year. The experiment was performed in a randomized block design with four treatments (0, 150, 300, and 450 kg ha⁻¹ N). Grazing was performed with sheep when the forage canopy reached 95% light interception up to 20 cm height of post-grazing. The pre-grazing forage mass of the Piatã grass showed a behavior (p < 0.05) linear to nitrogen fertilization, with higher and lower values in spring and winter, respectively. The post-grazing forage mass responded linearly (p < 0.05) to nitrogen fertilization, with an increase of 43.12% for the dose of 450 kg ha⁻¹ N in relation to pastures without nitrogen fertilization. When the non-fertilized pasture was compared with the highest nitrogen dose, a reduction of 21.79% dead tissue was observed in the post-grazing forage mass. The highest nitrogen use efficiency was obtained with the dose of 450 kg ha⁻¹ N. The forage mass production of the Piatã grass in the pre- and post-grazing conditions are positively influenced by nitrogen fertilization and the seasons of the year, with lower values in winter.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the addition of acidifiers to milk, milk replacer or post-weaning concentrate on the performance and health status of weaning and post-weaning calves. Three experiments were carried out, in the first experiment 62 Holstein × Zebu crossbred calves (males and females), reared from birth to 60 days of age, were distributed and fed milk with or without acidifier. From the third day, the calves were suckled (5L of milk/d) for 56 days, split into two meals. The acidifier was added to milk at the time of feeding. From the second week of calf's age a starter diet (18% of CP) was also offer. In second experiment, the same animals from first experiment, but from 61 to 120 days of age were distributed and fed (2 kg/d) post-weaning concentrate (18% of CP) with or without acidifier and Cynodon dactylon hay ad libitum. In third experiment, 16 male Holstein × Zebu crossbred calves, reared from birth to 60 days of age, were distributed and fed milk replacer with or without acidifier. The acidifier used in the first and third experiments was composed by the citric, lactic, fumaric, and phosphoric acids, and vitamin C (liquid diet); and by betaglucans, flavonoides, linoleic and oleic and citric acids, and vitamin C (solid diet). The addition of acidifier to milk or to post-weaning concentrate did not affect the dry matter (DM) and CP intakes, which were 818 and 196; 1740 and 217 g/d respectively. Similarly, it did not show high average daily gains, with 525 and 513 g/d, respectively. The addition of acidifiers to milk replacer showed results similar to those observed in calves fed milk. Therefore, the use of acidifiers in milk, milk replacer or in the post-weaning concentrate did not result in beneficial effects for calves.