Development of sustainable precision farming systems for swine: Estimating realtime individual amino acid requirements in growing-finishing pigs

The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate a mathematical model used to estimate the daily amino acid requirements of individual growing-finishing pigs. The model includes empirical and mechanistic model components. The empirical component estimates daily feed intake (DFI), BW, and daily gain (DG) based on individual pig information collected in real time. Based on DFI, BW, and DG estimates, the mechanistic component uses classic factorial equations to estimate the optimal concentration of amino acids that must be offered to each pig to meet its requirements. The model was evaluated with data from a study that investigated the effect of feeding pigs with a 3-phase or daily multiphase system. The DFI and BW values measured in this study were compared with those estimated by the empirical component of the model. The coherence of the values estimated by the mechanistic component was evaluated by analyzing if it followed a normal pattern of requirements. Lastly, the proposed model was evaluated by comparing its estimates with those generated by the existing growth model (InraPorc). The precision of the proposed model and InraPorc in estimating DFI and BW was evaluated through the mean absolute error. The empirical component results indicated that the DFI and BW trajectories of individual pigs fed ad libitum could be predicted 1 d (DFI) or 7 d (BW) ahead with the average mean absolute error of 12.45 and 1.85%, respectively. The average mean absolute error obtained with the InraPorc for the average individual of the population was 14.72% for DFI and 5.38% for BW. Major differences were observed when estimates from InraPorc were compared with individual observations. The proposed model, however, was effective in tracking the change in DFI and BW for each individual pig. The mechanistic model component estimated the optimal standardized ileal digestible Lys to NE ratio with reasonable between animal (average CV = 7%) and overtime (average CV = 14%) variation. Thus, the amino acid requirements estimated by model are animal- and time-dependent and follow, in real time, the individual DFI and BW growth patterns. The proposed model can follow the average feed intake and feed weight trajectory of each individual pig in real time with good accuracy. Based on these trajectories and using classical factorial equations, the model makes it possible to estimate dynamically the AA requirements of each animal, taking into account the intake and growth changes of the animal. © 2012 American Society of Animal Science. All rights reserved.

Suplementação de monensina sódica e/ou anticorpos policlonais em dietas de bovinos jovens confinados

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Maltodextrina em rações de leitões desmamados com diferentes pesos

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Integridade intestinal e desempenho de frangos de corte suplementados com probióticos, prebióticos e ácidos orgânicos

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Processamento mecânico da silagem de milho e níveis de inclusão de concentrado na dieta de novilhos Nelore confinados

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Efeito da suplementação de cromo em dois níveis energéticos para poedeiras leves

Pós-graduação em Zootecnia - FMVZ

Avaliação do potencial de impacto ambiental e do uso da compostagem e biodigestão anaeróbia na produção de caprinos

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Ractopamina em dietas para fêmeas suínas

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Probiótico em dietas de suínos

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Temperatura ambiente e nutrição de codornas japonesas

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Substituição de monensina sódica por bicarbonato de sódio em dietas de novilhas confinadas

The effects of replacing monensin with sodium bicarbonate in diets for confined heifers on weight gain (WG), dry matter intake (DMI), feed:gain ratio (FGR) and rumen fermentation parameters were evaluated. Fifity six heifers were utilized (Santa Gertrudis x Braunvieh). Diets were formulated with two levels of concentrate (50% and 80% concentrate) with sodium monensin or sodium bicarbonate. The DMI was higest in heifers with an intake of 80% concentrate. There was not difference when the same concentrate levels were evaluated in relation to the DMI. The heifers at 80% concentrate showed highest WG. There was no significant difference in relation to WG between monensin and bicarbonate treatments and levels concentrate proportions. There were significant effects regarding FGR between treatments. The heifers on 80% concentrate showed lowest FGR. In the evaluation of N-NH3, the highest values were observed, on the whole, at 80:20 diets in relation to 50:50 diets. In the additive use, the monensin on 80:20 diets promoted the highest values of N-NH3 at 1 for 9 hours after feed intake. In the values of ruminal pH, the bicarbonate increased the values on 50:50 at 6 for18 hours after feed intake, in relation to the 80:20 diet. In this case, it was concluded that the use of sodium bicarbonate in diets for confined finishing heifers is a viable option for the replacement of monensin sodium.

Aditivos alimentares na dieta de bovinos confinados

O objetivo do presente trabalho foi avaliar o efeito da inclusão do preparado de anticorpos policlonais (PAP) e/ou da monensina sódica (MON) sobre o desempenho, as características da carcaça, o perfil de ácidos graxos da carcaça (PAG) e a concentração de lipoproteínas sanguíneas (CLS) de bovinos confinados. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente ao acaso, em arranjo fatorial 2 x 2, com medidas repetidas no tempo, sendo os fatores a inclusão ou não de MON e PAP avaliados em dois períodos, em que 72 bovinos machos da raça Brangus, não castrados, foram alocados em 24 baias (três animais/baia), totalizando seis repetições por tratamento. Não foi observado efeito (P>0,05) da inclusão do PAP para nenhuma das varáveis de desempenho e características de carcaça. Contudo, foi observado efeito (P<0,05) da inclusão de MON, em que animais que receberam MON apresentaram maiores ganho de peso diário (1,666 vs. 1,552), ganho de peso total (179,95 vs. 167,68), peso vivo final (474,86 vs. 459,61), peso de carcaça quente (248,46 vs. 240,20), melhor conversão alimentar (5,57 vs. 5,79) e reduzido custo para ganhar um quilo de peso vivo (3,06 vs. 3,18). Ainda não foi observado efeito principal (P>0,05) dos aditivos para o PAG e a CLS. Assim, a inclusão do PAP não foi boa alternativa à substituição da MON. Por outro lado, a inclusão do PAP não afetou negativamente os itens estudados.

Fibra de cana-de-açúcar na alimentação de leitões recém-desmamados

Pós-graduação em Zootecnia - FCAV

Desempenho de bovinos de corte em pastos de Brachiaria brizantha cv. Xaraés manejados em diferentes alturas de pastejo

The production of grazing cattle has been very interesting, due to the low cost to produce fodder, compared to other sources of forage used to feed these animals, but the adequate management pasture has high influence on the success and profitability of cattle production systems. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine the optimum grazing height of Brachiaria brizantha cv. Xaraes, which provides the highest individual weight gain and gain per area. The stocking rate was continuous, with variable stocking rate. The experimental period was from January to December 2010. Three Nellore males were used in each experimental plot, and, when needed, additional animals were used for adjusting the desired heights. Monthly sampling was obtained to estimate forage mass (kg.ha(-1) of DM) and the structural characteristics of the pastures, such as, leaf: stem ratio. The animals were weighed at the beginning of the experiment and every 28 days, after 12 hours of fasting, to measure the average daily gain (ADG) After weighings were performed adjustments stocking rate to desired heights. Throughout the experimental period the animals received mineral supplementation. The desired sward heights were 15, 30, 45 and 60 cm, with three replicates each. The experimental design was completely randomized with four treatments and three replications. To body weight gain (BWG) and average daily gain (ADG), each animal was considered an experimental unit. To gain per area and stocking rate, the paddock was considered the experimental unit. The leaf: stem ratio showed a linear increasing behavior in the spring and summer seasons. The smaller grazing heights provided higher gain per unit area (812.15 kg ha(-1)), while the highest grazing heights promoted high individual weight gain (0.790 kg.dia(-1)). The results suggest that Xaraes grass pastures should be grazed between 30 and 45 cm to allow reasonable performances by area and individual performances.

Relative bioavailability of iron from organic sources for weanling piglets

Some authors consider minerals from organic sources more bioavailable for pig nutrition in comparison with inorganic sources. To evaluate the relative iron bioavailability from the organic source iron carbo-amino-phospho-chelate (ICAPC) to weanling piglets, it was conducted an experiment with 126 commercial piglets, using iron sulfate monohydrate (S) as standard. The experiment had a randomized block design with seven treatments (diet without adding specific source of iron, diet with 50, 100 and 150 ppm iron from S and diet with 50, 100 and 150 ppm iron from ICAPC), six replications and three animals per experimental unit. Performance parameters (average daily gain - ADG, feed: gain ratio - F:G) and blood variables (hemoglobin - Hb, hematocrit - Ht, transferrin - TR, latent iron-binding capacity - LIBC, total iron-binding capacity - TIBC, serum iron - Fe and transferrin saturation index - TSI) were evaluated. At the end of the experiment a piglet from each experimental unit was slaughtered and its liver and spleen removed for assessment of iron concentration by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). The evaluated sources of iron yielded similar results for the variables of interest, but the increase in iron intake was followed by a linear increase in ADG, Hb, Ht, Fe and TSI as well as a linear decrease in the values of F:G, TR, LIBC and TIBC. Iron bioavailabilities from both ICAPC and S sources are similar for weanling piglets.