The aim of this research was to evaluate the peculiarities of the biological rhythms of thermoregulation of goats and sheep in response to heat. Two hundred and thirty animals (115 goats and 115 sheep) were analyzed in physiological parameters (surface temperature – ST, rectal temperature – RT, heart rate – HR and respiratory rate – RR), behavioral and water consumption. Furthermore, environmental data were collected and bioclimatic indexes were calculated in order to characterize the microclimate conditions of the installation. The data obtained submitted to ANOVA and compared using Tukey’s test (P<0.05). The sheep showed higher (P < 0.05) HR, RR and RT. The goats showed lower (P < 0.05) water consumption and lower feeding time. The sheep had the highest percentage of “sitting” posture and “agonistic behaviors”. Goat are less sensitive to heat stress and therefore require a smaller magnitude of the biological mechanisms of thermoregulation, the may be related to greater efficiency in water use and fiber digestion of this specie.

The objectives in this experiment were to compare the effects of castor oil, canola oil or sunflower oil on lactation performance, milk composition and milk fatty acid (FA) profile in Santa Inês ewes and on growth of lambs. Forty-four ewes (66.9 ± 4.7 kg of initial BW, mean ± SD) were penned individually with their lambs and used in a randomized complete block design with 11 blocks and four diets. The experimental diets were as follow: 1) basal diet without added oil (Control), 2) 30 g FA/kg DM of canola oil (CAN), 3) 30 g FA/kg DM of sunflower oil (SUN) and 4) 30 g FA/kg DM of castor oil (CAS). The oils were added to a basal diet containing 50% of roughage. Once a week, from the second to the eighth wk of lactation, ewes were separated from their lambs, injected with oxytocin and mechanically milked to empty the udder. After 3 h, using the same procedure, milk production was recorded and milk was sampled for composition and FA profile determination. The growth of the lambs was monitored weekly. Ewes fed the control diet had greater (P < 0.05) DMI than those fed the oil-supplemented diets. No effect was observed on milk yield and on final BW of lambs. Milk fat and milk total solid concentrations were greater (P < 0.05) with the supply of CAS. Supplementation with CAN and SUN but not with CAS, reduced (P < 0.05) the sum of FA with 14 or less carbon chains and increased (P < 0.05) the c9-18:1, 18:0 and most of the biohydrogenation intermediates, including the t10-18:1, t11-18:1 and c9,t11-18:2. All oil supplemented diets reduced (P < 0.05) the content of 16:0 when compared with the control. Milk from ewes fed CAS presented only small proportion of 12-OH,c9-18:1 (0.31% of total FA) but much larger proportions of 12-OH-18:0 (1.58 % of total FA) and particularly of 12-oxo-18:0 (2.95 % of total FA), which suggests that 12-OH,c9-18:1 was extensively metabolized in the rumen. Concluding, CAS increased milk fat and modified the milk FA composition by increasing the hydroxy- and oxo-FA. The potential health promoting proprieties and technological advantages of milk enriched with hydroxy- and oxo-FA are not know at present but deserve to be explored.

Twenty crossbred lambs (21.6 ± 3.5 kg BW) were used in a completely randomised design to determine the effects of babassu mesocarp flour (BMF) on performance and ingestive behaviour. The treatments were defined by the increase in concentrations (0, 10, 20 or 30%, in DM basis) of BMF in the diet. When significant treatments effects were found, orthogonal polynomials for treatment responses were determined by linear and quadratic responses (p < .05). To determine the in situ ruminal degradability of the diets used in performance trial, one rumen-fistulated Santa Inês male sheep (63 kg BW) was used in a completely randomised design in a split splot arrangement with three replications (three periods of incubation) in times 3, 6, 24 and 72 h. Data from potential degradability (PD), dry matter (DM) and crude protein (CP) degradability for diets and the incubation time were compared by t-test (p < .05). Negative quadratic effect was observed upon nutrients intake, except for neutral detergent fiber (NDF) intake. The average daily gain, body condition score, feeding efficiency of DM and time spent in feeding decreased linearly with BMF addition. The BMF decreased the soluble fraction (a) potentially degradable fraction (b) PD, effective degradability of DM and CP and the NDF degradability. The addition of BMF in diets of sheep had negative effects on performance, feed efficiency of DM and degradability of DM, CP and NDF. However, the BMF can be used in diets, during the conventional grains off-season, at concentration up to 10.5% as alternative feed. Highlights