Thermal comfort in reduced models of broilers' houses, under different types of roofing materials

Esta pesquisa foi conduzida com o objetivo de avaliar diferentes tipos de coberturas em instalações para aves, por meio do Índice de Temperatura de Globo Negro e Umidade (ITGU), Carga Térmica de Radiação (CTR) e Entalpia (H). O experimento foi conduzido na Universidade Estadual de Goiás, entre os meses de abril e maio de 2011, sendo composto por cinco tratamentos (coberturas): CA -Telha de cimento-amianto; BA -Telha de bambu; BAP -Telha de bambu pintada de branco; FB -Telha de fibra vegetal e betume; FBP -Telha de fibra vegetal e betume pintada de branco, com 15 repetições, sendo as repetições os dias de medição. Dentre os horários estudados, o considerado menos confortável foi às 14h, sendo que a cobertura de fibra vegetal e betume foi a que apresentou maior valor de ITGU (84,1) quando comparada às demais coberturas, caracterizando uma situação de menor conforto térmico, não sendo observada diferença para CTR e H entre os tratamentos na região estudada.

Evaluation of Salmonella-Lytic Properties of Bacteriophages Isolated from Commercial Broiler Houses

Because of recent interest in bacteriophage therapy in poultry, information regarding the interaction of bacteriophages and potential host bacteria in the environment should be collected. The present studies were initiated with a rather typical commercial broiler integrator within the south-central United States to examine environmental Salmonella levels in two broiler complexes, attempt to isolate Salmonella-lytic bacteriophages, and elucidate a possible reason for differing apparent Salmonella prevalence. Significantly ( P<0.05) less Salmonella was isolated from houses in complex 1 ( 15/44 [ 34%] Salmonella-positive drag swabs) as compared to houses in complex 2 ( 22/24 [ 92%]). A total of seven Salmonella-lytic bacteriophages were isolated from Salmonella-positive environments, and two bacteriophages were isolated from a single Salmonella-negative house. During the initial bacteriophage isolation, individual bacteriophages did not replicate in the Salmonella host isolated from the same environment, and lysis of additional Salmonella hosts relied on high numbers of bacteriophage to be present. This suggests that the presence of these bacteriophages in the environment of a commercial broiler house had little to no effect on the presence of Salmonella. This study highlights the need to find additional bacteriophage sources, more effective isolation methods, and more innovative approaches to using bacteriophages to treat enteric disease.

Ammonia emissions in tunnel-ventilated broiler houses

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Correlations between thermal environment and egg quality of two layer commercial strains

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Estimating mortality in laying hens as the environmental temperature increases

Layer mortality due to heat stress is an important economic loss for the producer. The aim of this study was to determine the mortality pattern of layers reared in the region of Bastos, SP, Brazil, according to external environment and bird age. Data mining technique were used based on monthly mortality records of hens in production, 135 poultry houses, from January 2004 to August 2008. The external environment was characterized according maximum and minimum temperatures, obtained monthly at the meteorological station CATI in the city of Tupa, SP, Brazil. Mortality was classified as normal (<= 1.2%) or high (> 1.2%), considering the mortality limits mentioned in literature. Data mining technique produced a decision tree with nine levels and 23 leaves, with 62.6% of overall accuracy. The hit rate for the High class was 64.1% and 59.9% for Normal class. The decision tree allowed finding a pattern in the mortality data, generating a model for estimating mortality based on the thermal environment and bird age.

Characterization of heat waves affecting mortality rates of broilers between 29 days and market age

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

House-infesting Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in a Municipality of Southeastern Brazil

In Brazil, since the studies on urban ants started only in the 1980's, the urban myrmecofauna is still poorly known. Therefore, we herein carried out a survey of the myrmecofauna associated with residences in the municipality of Campinas, São Paulo state, Brazil, with the aim of verifying the existing ant species and their dynamics, which may be used in pest management programs. For this survey, baits and manual collection were utilized in the peridomiciles and intradomiciles of 38 houses. 4,308 samples were obtained, 51% of which presented ants, from five subfamilies, 18 genera and 19 species. The predominant subfamily was Myrmicinae, with 8 species. The predominant species was Tapinoma melanocephalum. In the intradomicile, during the diurnal period, the most visited rooms were the kitchen and the living room; during the nocturnal period, the kitchen was the most visited room.

Ant communities (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in an urban ecosystem near the Atlantic Rainforest

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Aspectos biológicos de Chrysoperla externa(Hagen, 1861)(Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) alimentada com Planococcus citri (Risso, 1813)(Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) e Toxoptera citricida (Kirkaldy, 1907) (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

The citrus-growing ecosystem houses a great deal of species of natural enemies, among them Chrysoperla externa (Hagen, 1861), which presents a great potential for use in the biological control of pests. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of the preys Planococcus citri (Risso, 1813) and Toxoptera citricida (Kirkaldy, 1907) on the development of larva and pupa of C. externa. The trial was carried out in an acclimatized room at 25 +/- 1 degrees C, 70 +/- 10% RH and 12-hour photophase, the treatments consisting of the continuous and alternate supply of those two preys in each instar of the predator, in addition to eggs of Anagasta kuehniella (Zeller, 1879) utilized for comparison purposes. Both the white mealybug and the aphids were given in sufficient amounts to the C. externa larvae to be able to feed ad libitum. The lifetime and the survival rate of the phases of larva, pupa and the larval-adult period of C. externa were evaluated. It was found that T. citricida given either singly along the larval development or in two consecutive instars of the predator was not an adequate prey, 100% of mortality over the larval-adult period being found. When the larvae fed on P. citri, given in two instars of the predator, the survival rate in the larval-adult period was similar to the diet constituted of only A. kuehniella eggs, except when fed with T. citricida in the first instar.

Alphitobius diaperinus spp como veiculador de Clostridium perfringens em granjas avícolas do interior paulista - Brasil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Water intake behavior of broiler chickens exposed to heat stress and drinking from bell or and nipple drinkers

The aspects involved in broiler water intake are not well known, despite the importance of water in animal nutrition and physiology. Water intake behavior should be taken into account when deciding on different types of drinkers. Bell and nipple drinkers are the most commonly used in commercial broiler production. Broilers were housed in cages equipped with two different drinker types and raised at two different environmental temperatures (25 and 34 ºC) to evaluate water intake behavior and volume. Broiler water intake behavior was influenced by drinker type. Birds visited bell drinkers less often, but presented higher total water intake per visit to the drinker as compared to those drinking from nipple drinkers. The results of this study suggest that both broilers drinking behavior and water intake volume should be taken into account when deciding on drinker type to equip broiler houses.

Effects of energy level in finisher diets and slaughter age of on the performance and carcass yield in broiler chickens

Male broilers were used to evaluate the effects of different energy levels in finisher diets and age of slaughter on performance, production pattern and carcass yield. Experimental design was a 2x3 factorial arrangement: energy level (ME) in the finisher diet (3,200 and 3,600 kcal ME/kg) and age of slaughter (42, 49 and 56 days), resulting in six treatments with four replicates. The finisher diet was fed only in the last week of the growing period. Characteristics evaluated were feed consumption (FC), body weight gain (WG), feed conversion (FC), energy intake (EI), caloric conversion (CC), efficiency production index, production pattern, and carcass yield. The results showed better WG and CC for broilers fed 3,200 kcal ME/kg finisher diet. Broilers slaughtered at 42 and 49 days of age had better performance and higher annual production than broilers slaughtered at 56 days of age. Carcass yield was influenced by slaughter age and better breast yield was seen at 49 and 56 days than at 42 days of age. It was concluded that 3,200 kcal ME/kg induced the best overall performance. Poultry houses were efficiently used when broilers were slaughtered at 42 days of age. Meat:bone ratio was improved for broilers slaughtered at 49 and 56 days of age.

Espaço e subjetividade: estudo com ribeirinhos

Nesta pesquisa, investigamos as transformações vividas por uma comunidade afetada pela construção de uma usina hidrelétrica no rio Paraná. Utilizando procedimentos da etnografia, realizamos várias visitas à comunidade, reassentada numa vila planejada e construída para substituir a antiga vila que foi submersa. Estabelecemos contatos com os moradores mais antigos e produzimos, com eles, diálogos entabulados em situações diversas, como em visitas às próprias casas e rodas de conversa ocorridas nas calçadas. Nas falas dos ribeirinhos, a mudança do espaço é sentida como algo negativo, em todos os planos da vida. Ressentem-se da perda do rio, da pesca farta, da caça realizada nas matas, das terras férteis cultivadas nas barrancas, da socialidade e de toda produção de subjetividade que mantinham naquele lugar marcado pela proximidade com o rio e suas águas.

Morfologia matemática aplicada à detecção de sombras e nuvens em imagens de alta resolução

The spatial resolution improvement of orbital sensors has broadened considerably the applicability of their images in solving urban areas problems. But as the spatial resolution improves, the shadows become even a more serious problem especially when detailed information (under the shadows) is required. Besides those shadows caused by buildings and houses, clouds projected shadows are likely to occur. In this case there is information occlusion by the cloud in association with low illumination and contrast areas caused by the cloud shadow on the ground. Thus, it's important to use efficient methods to detect shadows and clouds areas in digital images taking in count that these areas care for especial processing. This paper proposes the application of Mathematical Morphology (MM) in shadow and clouds detection. Two parts of a panchromatic QuickBird image of Cuiab-MT urban area were used. The proposed method takes advantage of the fact that shadows (low intensity - dark areas) and clouds (high intensity - bright areas) represent the bottom and top, respectively, of the image as it is thought to be a topographic surface. This characteristic allowed MM area opening and closing operations to be applied to reduce or eliminate the bottom and top of the topographic surface.

Sandfly fauna in an area endemic for visceral leishmaniasis in Aracaju, State of Sergipe, Northeast Brazil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)