Prediction of dry matter intake based on ruminal degradation from milking cows grazing coast-cross grass

Dry matter intake (DMI) of coast-cross grazing by crossbred Holstein-Zebu and Zebu lactating cows was calculated using in vitro dry matter digestibility from extrusa (four esophageal fistulated cows) and fecal output estimate with mordent chromium. Pasture was rotationally grazed with three days grazing period and 27 days testing period, adopting a stocking rate of 1.6 and 3.2 cows/ha, during the dry and rainy season respectively. Voluntary DMI was estimated from degradation characteristics using different equations. Predicted coast-cross DMI varied with models. The prediction of tropical forages dry matter intake from equations based in ruminal degradation parameters needs farther investigation before being employed in practice.

Grazing incidence X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy analysis of BaBi2Ta2O9 thin films

Thin films of BaBi2Ta2O9 (BBT) composition were prepared through the metal organic decomposition method. The crystallinity, phase formation, crystallite size and morphology of the thin films were measured as a function of the type of substrate, stoichiometry of solution and process variables such as thickness and temperature. The thin films were investigated by grazing incidence X-ray diffractometry and atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques. For the sample without excess of bismuth, diffraction peaks other than that of the BBT phase were observed. A well crystallized BBT single phase was observed for films prepared from a solution with 10% excess of bismuth, deposited on Si/Pt substrate, with a thickness up to 150 nm and sintered at temperatures of 700 degreesC. The thin BBT phase films heat-treated at 600 degreesC presented a diffraction pattern characteristic of samples with lower degree of crystallinity whereas for the thin films heat-treated at 800 degreesC, we observed the presence of other phases than the BBT. For the thin film deposited on the Sin+ substrate, we observe that the peaks corresponding to the BBT phase are broader than that observed on the samples deposited on the Pt and Si/Pt substrates. No variation of average crystallite size was observed as the excess of Bi increased from 10 to 20%. AFM images for the samples showed that the increasing the amount of bismuth promotes grain growth. The average surface roughness measured was in the range of 16-22 nm showing that the bismuth amount had no or little effect on the roughness of films. (C) 2002 Elsevier B.V. B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of grazing system on fetal development in Nellore cattle

Intensive grazing systems for beef females, based on abundant availability of high quality forages and supplementary concentrates, may affect fetal development. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of grazing system on length of gestation, fetal development, and characteristics of the calf at birth. Twenty-four pregnant (bred to Nellore bulls) Nellore females were allocated into two groups. The control group (G1) grazed Brachiaria decumbens (signal grass) in a traditional (extensive) grazing system and the second group (G2) were managed on Panicum maximumcv. Tanzania 1 (Tanzania grass) in an intensive grazing system. Fetal development was evaluated by ultrasonography on days 31, 45, 59, 94, 122, 220, and 255 of gestation. The diameter of the amniotic and allantoic cavities, crown-rump length, circumference, and diameter of the head and ocular orbit were determined. At birth, calves were weighed and height, length, thoracic circumference, and ocular orbit and bi-parietal diameters were measured. There were no differences (P > 0.05) in fetal development. The G1 cows had a longer gestation period (4.5 days; P < 0.05) and their calves had greater (P < 0.05) weight, height, length, and thoracic circumference at birth. In conclusion, Nellore females raised under intensive pasture management conditions, had significantly shorter gestation and smaller calves at birth than those raised under extensive pasture management conditions. Therefore, adoption of new management practices (e.g. intensive pasture management), should take into consideration animal behavior and productivity. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Voluntary intake of Tanzania grass (Panicum maximum) under rotational grazing by lactating cows

The study was conducted at Nucleo de Pesquisas Zootecnicas Nordeste of the Instituto de Zootecnia, Ribeirao Preto, SP, in a rotational grazing area of Tanzania grass (Panicum maximum), to estimate the dry matter intake by lactanting cows. The estimation of dry matter intake was calculated from the feces production estimated using extrusa Chromium-mordent and the in vitro digestibility of diet. The three treatments were crossbreed cows fed 3 kg.day(-1) of concentrate, crossbred cows without concentrate suplementation and pure Gir cows also without concentrate supplementation. The milk production was 11.98, 6.53 and 5.46 kg per cow per day, the grass intake was 8.26 +/- 5.66, 11.01 +/- 5.37 and 9.55 +/- 2.31 kg of dry matter per day or 2.15%, 2.37% and 2.34% of live weight for the three experimental groups respectively. The milk production was higher (P<0.01) for cows fed with concentrate. No difference was found for dry matter intake.

Lead poisoning in cattle grazing pasture contaminated by industrial waste

Lead poisoning is described in a herd of 120 Nelore cows of which 35 were affected. All affected cows died after a clinical course of 2-7 d with clinical signs related to cortical neurological disturbances. The source of Pb was fumes from a car battery recycling plant which has had a failure in its filtering system. Lead concentrations in liver and kidneys of 2 cows, in soil;and in grass where the cows were held were respective 39 to 431 ppm, 147 to 431 ppm,and 245ppm. No significant gross changes were observed. Histopathology revealed of neuronal necrosis, vacuolation of the neuropil and hypertrophy of the vascular endothelium inthecerebral cortices, degeneration of the epithelial cellsofrenal proximal tubules, and hemosiderosis of kidney, spleen and liver.

Mineral requirements for growth of Moxoto goats grazing in the semi-arid region of Brazil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Grazing time and milk production of crossbred cows in a rotational area of Elephant grass and Tanzania grass

This study was carried out in January of two consecutive years. The objective was to evaluate the grazing time, the grazing rate and the milk production of crossbred cows, managed in two rotational grazing areas, one with elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum. cv. Guaçu) and another one with Tanzania grass (Panicum maximum Jacq. cv. Tanzania), both with natural shade in the rest area. The experiment was divided in two phases, the first with 12 cows that remained day and night in the paddock and were milked twice a day. In the second phase 15 cows were observed and remained 10.43 hours in the paddock during the day, and were kept in a corral during the night. Each cow was observed every 15 minutes. Grass specie had no effect on milk production in the two phases of the experiment. The grazing time was 564 and 474 minutes and the grazing rate was 28.7 and 24.4 minutes/hour for the Elephant grass and Tanzania grass, respectively, in first phase. In the second phase,the grazing time was 461 and 426 minutes and the grazing rate was 42.7 and 39.4 minutes/hour for the Elephant grass and Tanzania grass, respectively. Correlations were observed (P<0.01) between grazing rate and the minimum temperature (-0.68), the maximum temperature (-0.76), the relative humidity (0.44) and the THI (-0.76).

Sheep and cattle grazing alternately: Nematode parasitism and pasture decontamination

Three grazing management systems were compared to examine pasture decontamination of gastrointestinal nematode parasites (GIN) of sheep (Ovies aries) and cattle (Bos taurus). They consisted of sheep and cattle grazing paddocks alternately for 32, 96 or 192 days over 2 years. Pastureland (8.43 ha) was subdivided into six areas of eight paddocks each to produce an eight-paddock rotational grazing system. Every paddock was grazed for 4 days and then rested for 28 days. Sixty-six Ile de France ewes and 12 steers were randomly divided into three groups (22 sheep and four cattle per group). Each grazing system included a cattle area and a sheep area. Sheep and cattle interchanged areas every 32 days in system 1 (Group 1), every 96 days in system 2 (Group 2) and every 192 days in system 3 (Group 3). Fecal examination and larvae counting on pasture were performed every 32 days. During summer, winter and spring 2005, tracer lambs free of nematode infection were introduced into each sheep group and later sacrificed for quantification and identification of GIN species. All cattle were sacrificed for the same purpose. The main parasites found in tracer lambs were Haemonchus contortus and Trichostrongylus colubriformis, and in cattle, Haemonchus similis, Cooperia punctata and Oesophagostomum radiatum. Pasture contamination by sheep-infective GIN larvae was considerably reduced after 96 or 192 days of cattle grazing. Cross-infections between sheep and cattle GIN were not significant, which suggested that integrated grazing using such animals could be used for pasture decontamination. However, as effective anthelmintics were not available, decontamination was not sufficient for proper prophylaxis of GIN infections in Ile de France sheep, which are quite susceptible to such parasites. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Using tree population size structures to assess the impacts of cattle grazing and eucalypts plantations in subtropical South America

To evaluate the effects of distinct management of the matrix in which forest fragments are found upon plant populations thriving in forest remnants in south Brazil, we assessed the conservation status of populations of four woody species (Campomanesia rhombea, Diospyros incontans, Myrciaria cuspidata and Sebastiania commersoniana) through analyses of size structure. Analyzes were carried out at two scales. At a local scale, we consider populations in fragments surrounded by pastures or eucalypts forest plantations, and at a regional scale we also consider larger forest tracts taken as reference areas (Rio Grande do Sul Forest Inventory databank). Population size structures were summarized using the symmetry of height distributions. Small individual size classes prevailed at the local scale in fragments surrounded by eucalypts plantations, whereas in areas exposed to cattle ranching, populations of the same species consistently lack small individuals. At the regional scale, populations in fragments surrounded by pastures presented greater skewness (prevalence of small plants) than populations in reference areas, while populations surrounded by eucalypts plantations presented intermediate skewness. These results reinforce the notion that plantations have a higher conservation value for forest ecosystems than other commercial land uses, like cattle ranching. © 2010 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.