Avaliação de equações de predição de exigências energéticas na alimentação de frangas de postura

O objetivo do presente estudo foi testar a validade de equações de predição de exigências energéticas para frangas de postura, as quais foram determinadas em estudos anteriores realizados na Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias da UNESP- Jaboticabal. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o inteiramente casualizado com três tratamentos e seis repetições compostas por 18 aves no período de 3 a 8 semanas, 15 aves de 9 a 12 semanas e 12 aves de 13 a 18 semanas de idade. Os tratamentos consistiram em comparar três diferentes formas de se alimentar as aves: alimentação à vontade, alimentação de acordo com as recomendações para a linhagem e alimentação de acordo com as equações de predição das exigências de energia metabolizável (EM). Os tratamentos foram avaliados por intermédio do desempenho das aves durante o período de crescimento e na fase de produção. No período de 3 a 8 semanas de idade, as aves alimentadas de acordo com as equações de predição de em apresentaram menor consumo de ração e de energia, o que determinou menor peso corporal e uniformidade insatisfatória. em função dos resultados da fase de 3 a 8 semanas de idade, foi adotada uma correção na equação de predição das exigências de em para as fases seguintes, acrescentando-se uma porcentagem de 37% sobre as exigências de em para mantença, valor relativo às atividades das aves. Às 18 semanas de idade, a ingestão de em foi maior para o tratamento à vontade, sendo que as aves de todos os tratamentos apresentaram peso corporal superior ao proposto pelo manual e boa uniformidade. O experimento teve continuidade durante a fase de produção, sendo que os tratamentos aplicados na fase de crescimento não afetaram o desempenho produtivo das aves.

Níveis nutricionais de fósforo disponível para aves de corte ISA Label criadas em semiconfinamento

Foram realizados três ensaios para determinar os níveis nutricionais de fósforo disponível (Pd) para machos e fêmeas da linhagem ISA Label nas fases inicial (1 a 28 dias), crescimento (28 a 56 dias) e final (56 a 84 dias) criadas em semiconfinamento. em cada ensaio, 480 aves com idade correspondente à fase de criação foram alojadas em 24 unidades experimentais contendo áreas de abrigo e de pastejo. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o inteiramente casualizado, em esquema fatorial 4 × 2 (níveis de Pd e sexos) com três repetições de 20 aves. Os níveis de fósforo disponível avaliados foram: 0,25; 0,36; 0,47 e 0,58% na fase inicial; 0,18; 0,31; 0,44 e 0,57% na fase de crescimento; e 0,14; 0,27; 0,40 e 0,53% na fase final. Foram avaliados o ganho de peso, consumo de ração, consumo de Pd, conversão alimentar, teores de fósforo, cálcio e cinzas na tíbia e resistência à quebra óssea. de acordo com os resultados, o nível ótimo de Pd na ração na fase inicial, para machos e fêmeas são de 0,39 e 0,49%, que correspondem ao consumo de 3,94 e 3,96 g de Pd/ave, respectivamente. Para a fase de crescimento, recomenda-se 0,35% de Pd na ração para aves de ambos os sexos, que correspondem a consumo de 8,45 e 6,70 g de Pd/ave. Na fase final, recomendam-se os níveis de 0,32 e 0,30% de Pd, que correspondem a consumos de 12 e 9,5 g de Pd/ave para machos e fêmeas, respectivamente.

Distribuição espacial, formação de grupos, uso do hábitat e ecologia comportamental de jovens de tubarão limão, negaprion brevirostris (poey 1868), no arquipélago de fernando de noronha

Lemon sharks, Negaprion brevirostris, are common in the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, but detailed information about the species in this site is lacking. The aim of this study was to describe the spatial distribution, grouping behavior, habitat use and behavioral ecology of juvenile lemon sharks in the archipelago, and their interaction with some environmental and ecological factors. During 2006 and 2007, the presence and spatial distribution of juvenile sharks were quantified through scuba diving and snorkeling at several sites of the archipelago. In 2008 the habitat use of juvenile sharks was quantified through visual census while snorkeling along 300 x 8 m strip transects. During these transects the grouping behavior of lemon sharks was quantified by ad libitum. Results indicate that Fernando de Noronha Archipelago is used as a nursery area for lemon sharks, and the parturition occurs from November to April. Juveniles preferred using shallower areas available by the tide variation and formed groups only in the presence of adult conspecifics. This preference for shallower habitats and the group behavior probably are anti-predatory tactics used by juvenile lemon sharks, in response to the low availability of shelter and high predation risk of the studied areas. Quantifications of prey availability and predation risk of juveniles showed that, in general, lemon sharks are trading-off food by security and investing in sites with higher possibility of energetic return. Behavioral observations enabled to record juvenile carangid fishes following juvenile lemon sharks, remora host-parasite and juvenile sharks foraging on schools of herrings and octopuses. We also recorded the behavior of juvenile sharks following conspecifics of similar size, circling with two or three individuals and smaller individuals giving way to larger juveniles. When adults are present, juvenile lemon sharks are more social than solitary, indicating that predation is one of the factors that contribute to social behaviors of the species. Results also suggest that when grouped the juveniles have a hierarchical organization according to body size. Furthermore, observation of large adult females with several fresh mating bites and scars in the same habitats used by juvenile lemon sharks, indicates that Fernando de Noronha Archipelago is used as nursery and mating grounds by this species

Ecologia alimentar e comportamento de forrageamento de Ameivula aff. ocellifera (Squamata: Teiidae) em área de caatinga do nordeste do Brasil

This study investigated the influence of intrinsic and extrinsic factors on the feeding ecology and foraging behavior of the whiptail lizard Ameivula aff. ocellifera, a new species widely distributed in the Brazilian Caatinga, and that is in process of description. In attendance to the objectives, the Dissertation was structured in two chapters, which correspond to scientific articles, one already published and the other to be submitted for publication. In Chapter 1 were analyzed the general diet composition, the relationship between lizard size and prey size, and the occurrence of sexual and ontogenetic differences in the diet. Chapter 2 contemplates a seasonal analysis of diet composition during two rainy seasons interspersed with a dry season, and the quantitative analysis of foraging behavior during two distinct periods. The diet composition was determined through stomach analysis of lizards (N = 111) collected monthly by active search, between September 2008 and August 2010, in the Estação Ecológica do Seridó (ESEC Seridó), state of Rio Grande do Norte. Foraging behavior was investigated during a rainy and a dry month of 2012 also in ESEC Seridó, by determining percent of time moving (PTM), number of movements per minute (MPM) and prey capture rate by the lizards (N = 28) during foraging. The main prey category in the diet of Ameivula aff. ocellifera was Insect larvae, followed by Orthoptera, Coleoptera and Araneae. Termites (Isoptera) were important only in numeric terms, having negligible volumetric contribution (<2%) and low frequency of occurrence, an uncommon feature among whiptail lizards. Males and females did not differ neither in diet composition nor in foraging behavior. Adults and juveniles ingested similar prey types, but differed in prey size. Maximum and minimum prey sizes were positively correlated with lizard body size, suggesting that in this population individuals experience an ontogenetic change in diet, eating larger prey items while growing, and at the same time excluding smaller ones. The diet showed significant seasonal differences; during the two rainy seasons (2009 and 2010), the predominant prey in diet were Insect larvae, Coleoptera and Orthoptera, while in the dry season the predominant prey were Insect larvae, Hemiptera, Araneae and Orthoptera. The degree of mobility of consumed prey during the rainy seasons was lower, mainly due to a greater consumption of larvae (highly sedentary prey) during these periods. Population niche breadth was higher in the dry season, confirming the theoretical prediction that when food is scarce, the diets tend to be more generalized. Considering the entire sample, Ameivula aff. ocellifera showed 61,0 ± 15,0% PTM, 2,03 ± 0,30 MPM, and captured 0,13 ± 0,14 per minute. Foraging mode was similar to that found for other whiptail lizards regarding PTM, but MPM was relatively superior. Seasonal differences were verified for PTM, which was significantly higher in the rainy season (66,4 ± 12,1) than in the dry season (51,5 ± 15,6). It is possible that this difference represents a behavioral adjustment in response to seasonal variation in the abundance and types of prey available in the environment in each season

Avaliação do desempenho e do rendimento de carcaça de quatro linhagens de frangos de corte em dois sistemas de criação

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Empenamento, níveis hormonais de triiodotironina e tiroxina e temperatura corporal de frangos de corte de diferentes genótipos criados em diferentes condições de temperatura

Estudou-se o empenamento, os níveis hormonais de Triiodotironina (T3) e Tiroxina (T4) e a temperatura corporal de frangos criados em diferentes temperaturas. Foram alojados 180 pintainhos Cobb 500 e 180 pintainhos ISA Label JA57, em temperaturas termoneutra, quente ou fria. O delineamento utilizado foi inteiramente ao acaso, em modelo fatorial 2 x 3 (2 linhagens e 3 temperaturas) com 8 repetições. Houve um aumento das concentrações de T3, nas aves criadas no frio, e uma redução no calor. Também no calor, os frangos ISA Label apresentaram níveis mais altos de T4. As aves Cobb apresentaram uma redução de T4 no calor ou no frio aos 42 dias e no calor aos 21 dias de idade. Houve menor empenamento aos 42 dias, quando os frangos foram criados em alta temperatura e um menor empenamento das aves ISA Label, quando comparadas aos frangos Cobb. As aves criadas no calor apresentaram maior temperatura corporal. Os frangos Cobb apresentaram um aumento na sua temperatura interna, quando criados em ambiente quente. Já os frangos da linhagem ISA Label mantiveram sua temperatura interna, independentemente da temperatura ambiente. É possível concluir que a temperatura ambiente afeta o empenamento dos frangos de corte de linhagens de rápido ganho de peso, que também apresentaram menor tolerância ao calor, demonstrada através de uma maior temperatura corporal e temperatura interna.

Cannibalistic behavior and functional response in Chrysomya albiceps (Diptera : Calliphoridae)

Chrysomya albiceps is a facultative predator and cannibal species during the larval stage. Very little is known about cannibalism and prey size preference, especially in blowflies. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the influence of prey size and larval density on cannibalism by third-instar larvae of C. albiceps under laboratory conditions. Our results indicate that no cannibalism occurs by third-instar larvae on first- and second-instar larvae, but third-instar larvae do eat second-instar larvae. The functional response on second-instar larvae is consistent with Holling type II. The consequences of consuming second-, compared to first- or third-, instar larvae as well as the implications of cannibalism for the population dynamics of C. albiceps are discussed.

Aerobic metabolism during predation by a boid snake

We quantified the oxygen uptake rates ((V) over dot O-2) and time spent, during the constriction, inspection, and ingestion of prey of different relative sizes, by the prey-constricting boid snake Boa constrictor amarali. Time spent in prey constriction varied from 7.6 to 16.3 min, and (V) over dot O-2 during prey constriction increased 6.8-fold above resting values. This was the most energy expensive predation phase but neither time spent nor metabolic rate during this phase were correlated with prey size. Similarly, prey size did not affect the (V) over dot O-2 or duration of prey inspection. Prey ingestion time, on the other hand, increased linearly with prey size although (V) over dot O-2 during this phase, which increased 4.9-fold above resting levels, was not affected by prey size. The increase in mechanical difficulty of ingesting larger prey, therefore, was associated with longer ingestion times rather than proportional increases in the level of metabolic effort. The data indicate that prey constriction and ingestion are largely sustained by glycolysis and the intervening phase of prey inspection may allow recovery between these two predatory phases with high metabolic demands. The total amount of energy spent by B. c. amarali to constrict, inspect, and ingest prey of sizes varying from 5 to 40% of snake body mass varied inversely from 0.21 to 0.11% of the energy assimilated from the prey, respectively. Thus, prey size was not limited by the energetic cost of predation. on the contrary, snakes feeding on larger prey were rewarded with larger energetic returns, in accordance with explanations of the evolution of snake feeding specializations. (C) 2002 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Foraging by Polybia (Trichothorax) ignobilis (Hymenoptera, Vespidae) on flies at animal carcasses

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

Alimentação de peixes: proposta para análise de itens registrados em conteúdos gástricos

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

Modelling energy utilization for laying type Pullets

Three trials were carried out to determine energy metabolized (EM) requirement model for starting and growing pullets from different strains, at five ambient temperatures and different percentage feather coverage. In Trial I, metabolizable energy requirements for maintenance (MEm) and efficiency of energy utilization were estimated using 64 birds of two different strains, Hy-Line W36 (HLW36) and Hy-Line Semi-heavy (HLSH), from 9 to 13 weeks of age. The effects of ambient temperature (12, 18, 24, 30 and 36ºC) and percentage feather coverage (0, 50 and 100%) on MEm were assessed in the second trial, using 48 birds per temperature per strain (HLSH and HLW36) from 9 to 13 weeks of age. Trial III evaluated ME requirements for weight gain (MEg) using 1,200 birds from two light strains (HLW36 and Hisex Light, HL) and two semi-heavy strains (HLSH and Hisex Semi-heavy, HSH) reared until 18 weeks of age. According to the prediction models, MEm changed as a function of temperature and feather coverage, whereas MEg changed as a function of age and bird strain. Thus, two models were developed for birds aged 1 to 6 weeks, one model for the light strain and one for the semi-heavy strain. Energy requirements (ER) were different among strains from 7 to 12 weeks, and therefore 4 models were elaborated. From 13 to 18 weeks, one single model was produced for semi-heavy birds, since ER between semi-heavy strains were not different, whereas two different models were elaborated for the light layers. MEg of light birds was higher than MEg of semi-heavy birds, independent of age.

Feeding associations between Guiana dolphins, Sotalia guianensis (Van Bénèden, 1864) and seabirds in the Lagamar estuary, Brazil

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

Indicadores de bem-estar baseados em reações comportamentais de matrizes pesadas

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

Biologia reprodutiva de Dipsas neivai Amaral e D. catesbyi (Sentzen) (Serpentes, Colubridae) no sudeste da Bahia, Brasil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Assessing locomotion deficiency in broiler chicken

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)