Hepatogenous photosensitization of ruminants by Brachiaria decumbens and Panicum dichotomiflorum in the absence of sporidesmin: Lithogenic saponins may be responsible

As part of a study of plants involved in crystal-associated hepatogenous photosensitization diseases, samples of Brachiaria decumbens and Panicum dichotomiflorum on which cattle and goats had recently been photosensitized were analyzed. The level of saponins associated with these photosensitization outbreaks were determined by GC-MS. Only low levels of Pithomyces chartarum spores were present on the B decumbens, and all isolates obtained failed to produce sporidesmin.

Degradabilidade ruminal da matéria seca e da fração protéica da silagem de milho, do farelo de soja e do sorgo grão, em bovinos da raça nelore. Comparação com os dados obtidos pelo CNCPS

The nylon bag in situ degradation thecnique was employed to compare the data of the CNCPS to the ruminal degradability of the dry matter and crude protein in corn silage, soybean meal and sorghum grain, in four rumen fistulated Nellore steers, averaging 36 months of age and 520 kg of liveweight. A randomized complete block experimental design was used, where animals constituted the blocks. Two levels of concentrate, 18 and 39 %, were used in the diets. The forage used in the diets was corn silage and the concentrate ingredients were: soybean meal, cottonseed meal, corn grain and sorghum grain. There was a reduction in the potentially by degradable fraction (B) of the dry matter(DM) of the corn silage and sorghum grain with an increase in the concentrate level of the diet; however, the degradation rate(c) of the silage was similar for the two diets and the sorghum grain showed an increase of 28.4 %. The B fraction of the DM from the soybean meal was not affected by the diet, but its rate (c) was reduced by 18.1 %. The same effect was observed for the rate(c) of crude protein(CP) of the soybean meal, with a reduction of 38.1 %. The values for the effective degradability of the two fractions were not affected by the diet when the lag time was not considered. When lag time was considered, the degradability values of the studied feeds were superior in both fractions.

Degradabilidade ruminai da fibra em detergente neutro e do nitrogênio insolúvel em detergente neutro da silagem de milho e do farelo de soja, em bovinos da raça nelore

The nylon bag in situ degradation thecnique was employed to study the ruminai degradability of the neutral detergent fiber and neutral detergent insoluble nitrogen of the corn silage and soybean meal in four rumen fistulated Nellore steers, averaging 36 months of age and 520 kg of liveweight. A randomized completelcs block experimental design was used, where the animals constituted the blocks. It was used diets with two levels of concentrate: 20 and 40%.The forage used in the diets was corn silage, and the concentrate ingredients were: soybean meal, cottonseed meal, corn grain and sorghum grain. The NIDN degradation rate of the corn silage and the soybean meal showed a decrease of 32,1% and of 46,0 % as a function of the higher concentrate level of the diet, but the effective and potential degradability of this fraction were not affected. Concerning to the NDF, the soluble fraction, potentially degradable and undegrable , were not affected by the increase on the diet concentrate level, but for the corn silage, there were 21,8% of reduction on the effective degradability of NDF. The use of lag time promoted higher degradability values for the studied fraction. The obtained values for some evaluated parameters, different from that assumed by CNCPS, showed the necessity of more data about brazilian used feeds, for model adjustments.

Adherence and experimental infection of bacteria associated with periodontal infections of young cattle in Brazil (Cara inchada)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Estimativa da mudança genética na produção de leite e gordura em bovinos da raça Holandesa

The objective of this study was to estimate the genetic trends of the milk and fat yield in three herds maintained in São Paulo State, Brazil. The estimation of genetic, environmental and phenotypic trends were based on 716 first lactations. The cows were sired by 134 bulls. The statistical models included the fixed effects of herds, kind of gestation, season and year of the calving, age of the cow at calving, besides the random effect of the bulls. The statistical analyses, by the last squares method showed effects for bulls, herds and age of the cows on milk and fat yield. The genetic, environmental and phenotypic trends estimated were -10.20; 6.74 and -3.46 kg for milk yield and -1.90; 2.20 and 0.12 kg for fat yield.

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa) for the detection of antibodies against babesia boris in cattle

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Efeitos Ambientais sobre Ganho de Peso no Período do Nascimento ao Desmame em Bovinos da Raça Nelore

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Fatores de Correção para Ganho de Peso Médio Diário no Período do Nascimento ao Desmame em Bovinos da Raça Nelore

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Repeatability and heritability of response to superovulation in Holstein cows

The objective of this study was to estimate the relative effects of genetic and phenotypic factors on the efficacy and efficiency of superovulation for Holstein-Friesian cows reared in Brazil. A database, established by the Associacao Brasileira de Criadores de Bovinos da Raca Holandesa, consisting of a total of 5387 superovulations of 2941 cows distributed over 473 herds and sired by 690 bulls was used for the analysis. The records were analyzed by MTDFREML (Multiple Trait Derivative-Free Restricted Maximum Likelihood), using a repeatability animal model. The fixed effects included in the model were contemporaneous group (veterinarian, herd, year and season of the superovulation); number of semen doses; cow age; and superovulation order. The estimated repeatability of the number of the transferable embryos was low (0.13), and the estimated heritability was 0.03. These results indicate that environmental factors play a critical role in the response of a cow to a superovulation treatment. There is little evidence that future responses to superovulation by individual females can be predicted by previous treatment(s) or that superovulation response is an heritable trait.

Skin test and tick immune status in susceptible and resistant cattle in Brazil

A cutaneous hypersensitivity test (CHT) was used to correlate host resistance to ticks and type of reaction elicited to unfed larval extract-ULE of the cattle tick Boophilus microplus in European and Indian cattle. Twenty calves were separated into four groups of five animals each: naïve or preinfested Indian or European cattle. CHT was induced by intradermal inoculation of 0.1 ml of ULE cattle tick B. microplus (50 μg protein) in the calf ear. Ear thickness was measured using calipers before and 10 min, 1, 2, 6, 18, 24, 48, 72, 96, and 144 h postinoculation (PI). Preinfested European calves showed only an immediate type reaction with maximum response (75% increase in ear thickness) at 10 min PI. On the other hand, preinfested Indian calves presented an immediate response with maximum reaction (70% increase in ear thickness) between 10 min and one hour PI, and a delayed type reaction at 72 h PI (60% increase in ear thickness). These results point out the crucial role of the cellular immune response of cattle in the expression of resistance to cattle tick B. microplus. Skin test might be useful in the ranking of cattle according to the susceptibility/resistance to ticks.

Consistency of side choice in the milking parlour by holstein-friesian cows and its relationship with their reactivity and milk yield

Dairy cows often have to choose which of two sides to enter in the milking parlour. Some cows are very consistent in this choicė, and it is common to assume that when these cows are more disturbed are being milked in their non-preferred side. Such disturbance might involve significantly poor welfare. In order to assess this assumption, we decided to study the behaviour and milk yield of dairy cows and their relationships with side preference in the milking parlour. The study was carried out at Cambridge University Farm, in a two-sided tandem milking parlour. The data collection followed the daily management routine. We recorded the side chosen by each cow (left or right) during 40 milking sessions. Data from 70 cows, which were present in at least 25 milking sessions (mode = 36), were included in the statistical analysis. Cows' reactivity (CR) during premilking udder preparation, time spent fitting the milking cluster (FT), milk yield (MY) and duration of milking (DM) were measured. There was evident individual variation in the consistency of side choice. Individual differences (ANOVA, P < 0.001) were also found in CR, FT, MY and DM; although these variables were not significantly affected by the side or the interaction animal × side (ANOVA, P < 0.05). The comparison between left and right side means (paired t-test) of these variables did not show significant differences (P < 0.05). We concluded that there is no evidence that the cows were discomforted or stressed when milked in the non-preferred side of the milking parlour. © 2001 Elsevier Science B.V.

Susceptibility of the cattle tick Boophilus microplus (Acari: Ixodidae) to isolates of the fungus Beauveria bassiana

The susceptibility of the tick Boophilus microplus to Beauveria bassiana was evaluated by inoculating eggs, larvae and engorged females of the tick with five fungal isolates at concentrations of 106, 107 and 108 conidia/ml. Tick eggs (0.25 g) were immersed in 1 ml of a suspension of the different conidial concentrations for 1 min. Similar exposure was performed by immersion of 2000 larvae and homogeneous groups of nine engorged females in 2 and 20 ml of conidial suspension, respectively. Treated eggs, larvae and adults were placed in an incubator at 27 ± 1 °C and relative humidity above 80% for evaluation of the fungal action. All fungal isolates applied at all conidial concentrations reduced the hatching rate of larvae from treated eggs by 1.36-65.58% and increased the mortality rate of inoculated larvae by 0.8-70.49%. In the bioassay with engorged females, oviposition period was reduced by 9.69-47.80%, egg mass weight by 4.71-53.87%, estimated reproduction by 8.3-60.62%, egg production index by 5.03-54.20%, percent larval hatching by 0.27-13.96%, and the mortality rate of treated females was increased by 96.60-100%. The reduction of the estimated reproduction obtained for the treated groups ranged from 8.37 to 64.52%. The sporulation of the pathogen on dead females ranged from 3.70 to 88.88% depending on the isolate and concentration used. Isolates AM 09, CB 7 and JAB 07 were the most effective and effectiveness increased with increasing concentrations of conidia in the suspensions.

Comparação de sistemas de avaliação de dietas para bovinos no modelo de produção intensiva de carne. Confinamento de tourinhos jovens

Thirty 3/4 Canchim + 1/4 Nelore young bulls with 417 kg of body weight and 15 months of age, were confined during 84 days. The animals were fed with diets composed with corn silage, corn grain, cottonseed meal, soybean meal, whole soybean and mineral mix, adjusted in agreement with the recommendations of the Metabolizable Protein System (MP), Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System (CNCPS) and Intestine Digestible Protein System (PDI), for predicted body weight gain of 1.3 kg/head/day. The daily body weight gain did not differ among treatments CNCPS, MP and PDI, with 1.51; 1.48; and 1.13 kg/head, respectively. The economic analysis revealed net profit of R$116.25; R$148.30; and R$108.51/head for CNCPS, MP and PDI systems, respectively. The diets adjusted by CNCPS and MP systems provided superior animal performance than that expected, while the diet adjusted by PDI system did not allow the predicted body weight gain.