Nutrient intake and digestibility of the lipid residue of biodiesel from palm oil in sheep

ABSTRACT: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of inclusion of lipid residue of biodiesel originated in the processing of palm oil (Elaeis guineensis) in the diet on the digestibility of feedlot lambs. Twenty-five crossbred male castrated lambs, weighing 20±1.61 kg, were distributed in randomized blocks with five treatments and five replications. The experimental period lasted 22 days; 15 for diet adaptation, 2 for the adaptation to the indicator LIPE (lignin from Eucalyptus grandis isolated, purified and enriched, UFMG, Minas Gerais) and 5 for fecal sampling. Diets were formulated with 64% concentrate based on corn and soybean meal, 31% Massai grass (Panicum maximum cv. Massai) hay and 5% lipid supplementation from increasing levels of substitution of 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% of palm oil for biodiesel oil from palm residue. The lambs were offered two meals a day, at 7h00 and 16h00. There was linear effect of inclusion of the residue from palm oil biodiesel on dry matter intake. There was no change in digestibility of nutrients except for ether extract. The use of biodiesel from palm oil residue up to 100% replacement for the lipid supplementation of sheep positively influences the consumption without altering the digestibility of nutrients.

Use of organic acids and competitive exclusion product as an alternative to antibiotic as a growth promoter in the raising of commercial turkeys

Processo FAPESP: 10/20655-3

High occurrence of Cryptosporidium ubiquitum and Giardia duodenalis genotype E in sheep from Brazil

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

Potentially pathogenic Escherichia coli in healthy, pasture-raised sheep on farms and at the abattoir in Brazil

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

Morphological traits and type of dairy goats registered in Brazil from 1976 to 2009

Data from 2439 goats of the Saanen, Alpine, Anglo Nubian and Toggenburg breeds recorded from 1976 to 2009 by the Association of Goats and Sheep Breeders of Minas Gerais were used in principal component analysis. After consistency of data, six morphological variables (thorax perimeter, body length, withers height, height, width and length of the rump) and 12 variables related to breed standard score and fitness (breed characteristic, head, palette and topline, feet and legs, dairy type, body capacity, udder, rear and front ligament, udder texture, teat and final score) were analyzed. Based on the magnitude of the eigenvalue (lower than 0.7), eleven variables considered redundant were discarded, resulting in reduced costs of technician labor to evaluate the animals. Maintenance of records on height, length, rump width, breed characteristic, dairy type, front ligament and udder texture is recommended.

Efficacy of sulfadoxine plus trimethoprim compared to management measures for the control of Eimeria parasitism in naturally infected and clinically asymptomatic sheep that were maintained in a feedlot

The efficacy of sulfadoxine + trimethoprim in comparison to management measures for the control of Eimeria parasitism was studied in naturally infected sheep that were raised in a feedlot and were clinically asymptomatic for eimeriosis. Weight gain was also evaluated in these animals. The following groups were formed with 15 animals/group: TO!, control animals that received saline solution and maintenance of the same management measures that were performed before the study; T02, animals that received two intramuscular doses of sulfadoxine (20 mg/kg) + trimethoprim (4 mg/kg) with a 14-day interval; T03, sheep that received two intramuscular doses of sulfadoxine (20 mg/kg) + trimethoprim (4 mg/kg) with a 14-day interval plus management measures (wood shaving bedding was changed every Monday, and 30g of ammonium sulfate were applied to the bedding and other facilities were performed every Thursday, 10 mL/20 L of water); and T04, animals that received only the management measures described for the previous group. The highest efficacy rates (arithmetic mean) for the T02 group (sulfadoxine + trimethoprim at days 0 and 14) were 21.04% and 21.98% on the 14th and 28th days after the first treatment (DAFT), respectively. However, the treatment showed efficacy rates below 17% and was totally ineffective from the 70th DAFT to the end of the study. In both the T03 (chemical treatment+ management) and T04 (management only) groups, a significant (P <= 0.05) reduction of oocyst shedding per gram of feces was observed in the animals from the 14th DAFT in comparison to the control group; however, an efficacy rate above 90% was observed from the 28th DAFT. Animals belonging to the T02, T03 and T04 groups presented with alterations in weight gain of 0.57 kg, 4.30 kg and 4.53 kg, respectively, in comparison with the control animals (T01) throughout the 91-day study period. Thus, it is possible to conclude that the two-dose sulfadoxine + trimethoprim treatment, given with a 14-day interval, had little no effect on the oocyst shedding. Moreover, the adopted management measures were enough to cause a significant decrease in the animal parasite loads. (C) 2013 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Environmental and genetic effects on weight and visual score traits at postweaning in Suffolk sheep

This study aimed to investigate the following environmental effects in Suffolk lambing: contemporary groups, type of birth, and age of animal and age of dam at lambing on conformation (C), precocity (P), musculature (M), and body weight at postweaning (W), and the heritability coefficients and genetic correlations among these traits. Contemporary groups, type of birth, and age of animal and age of dam at lambing were significant for W. For C, all the effects studied were significant, except linear and quadratic effects of age of the animal. For P, all effects studied were significant, except the quadratic effect of age of the animal. For M, the effects of contemporary group, type of birth, and the linear effect of the age of the animal were significant. Heritability estimates were 0.07 +/- 0.03, 0.14 +/- 0.03, 0.09 +/- 0.03, and 0.11 +/- 0.03 for C, P, M, and W, respectively, indicating a positive low response for direct selection. Estimates of genetic correlations among the visual scores (C, P, and M) and W were moderate to highly favorable and positive, ranging from 0.48 to 0.90. These results indicate that selection for visual scores will increase body weight.

A comparative study of production performance and animal health practices in organic and conventional dairy systems

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Energy requirements for maintenance and growth of Caninde goat kids

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Effects of different mydriatics on intraocular pressure, pupil diameter, and ruminal and intestinal motility in healthy sheep

Objective To determine the effects of the administration of subconjunctival 1% atropine (SA), topical 1% atropine (A), 0.5% tropicamide (T), 1% homatropine (H), 10% phenylephrine (P), and 2% ibopamine (I) on intraocular pressure (IOP), pupil diameter (PD), ruminal motility (RM) and intestinal motility (IM) in sheep.Animal studied Ten spayed ewes of Santa Ines breed.Procedures Six experiments were performed separately at 1-week intervals. One eye was randomly selected and received one drop of A, T, H, P, I, or subconjunctival injection of atropine at 8 a. m. On the following days, IOP and PD were evaluated every 8 h until the pupil returned to its normal diameter. Ruminal motility and intestinal motility were evaluated only within the first 13 h.Results The IOP did not change significantly in the treated eyes compared with the control eyes and baseline at any time point (P > 0.05). A longer-lasting pupil dilation was observed after the administration of A (96 h), SA (79 h), H (24 h), and T (24 h). Within the first 30 min after treatment, RM and IM decreased, by 78% and 82% (H), 76% and 86% (SA), 46% and 58% (A), and 62% and 70% (T) (P < 0.001), respectively, with a tendency to return to baseline values following 13 h of drug administration. Both 10% phenylephrine and 2% ibopamine did not have any effect on the parameters evaluated (P > 0.05).Conclusions Topical and subconjunctival 1% atropine, 0.5% tropicamide, and 1% homatropine significantly reduced RM and IM, and induced pupil dilation but did not change IOP in eyes of healthy sheep. The sympathomimetics phenylephrine (10%) and ibopamine (2%) did not change the parameters evaluated.

Energy Requirements for Maintenance and Growth of Male Saanen Goat Kids

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Energy Requirements in Early Life Are Similar for Male and Female Goat Kids

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

Molecular investigation of zoonotic genotypes of Giardia intestinalis isolates in humans, dogs and cats, sheep, goats and cattle in Araçatuba (Sãoo Paulo State, Brazil) by the analysis of beta-giardin gene fragments

In the period from July 2009 to October 2010, fecal samples from 61 animals and 154 humans from the municipality of Aracatuba (São Paulo State, Brazil) were studied. Fecal samples from animals were collected in the Municipal Animal Shelter and the Veterinary Hospital of the Universidade Estadual Paulista. Human fecal specimens were collected in playschools in the outskirts of the city by the private network of clinical analysis laboratories of the municipal. Diagnosis was done by optical microscopy using the Faust and Hoffmann, Pons and Janer techniques. The genotypes of Giardia intestinalis were characterized by PCR-RFLP and confirmed by sequencing the ß-giardin gene. Human specimens were positive in 25.3% (39/154) of the cases with 26.8% (36/134) of the specimens from children and 15% (3/20) from adults being positive. The frequency of G. intestinalis among the animals was 23.0% (14/61). A total of 32 isolates of G. intestinalis obtained from human feces and six from dogs and cats were characteristic of the A genotype (AI and AII/AIII). The results of this study in respect to frequency of giardiasis are similar to reported in most studies in Brazil. The prevalence observed in animal populations conforms to worldwide infection rates. G. intestinalis genotypes considered zoonotic were detected in both pets and humans from the city of Aractuba, suggesting a possible zoonotic transmission of the parasite in the northwestern region of São Paulo State. The absence of these genotypes in farm animals may imply that they are not involved in the chain of transmission to humans in this region.

Clonal profile, virulence and resistance of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from sheep milk

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