Univariate and bivariate distribution of growth traits in beef buffaloes from Brazil

The aim of this study was to analyze the weight at birth (BW) and adjusted at 205 (W205), 365 (W365) and 550 (W55O) days in beef buffaloes from Brazil, using two approaches: parametric, by normal distribution, and non-parametric, by kernel function, and thus estimating the genetic, environmental and phenotypic correlation among traits. Information of 5,169 animals at birth (BW), 3,792 at 205 days (W205), 3.883 at 365 days (W365) and 1,524 at 550 days of age (W550) were used. The birth weight distribution presented an evident discrepancy in relation to the normal distribution. However, W205, W365 and W550 presented normal distributions. The birth weight presented weak genetic, environmental, and phenotypic associations with the other weight measurements. on the other hand, the weight traits at 205, 365, 550 days of age showed a high genetic correlation.

Inbreeding and its effects on some productive and reproductive traits in a Murrah buffalo herd

Data concerning genealogy, milk yield, lactation length, caving interval and lac at first calving, obtained from Murrah buffaloes on a farm In São Paulo state, Brazil, were studied in order to determine the presence of inbreeding in the herd and to evaluate its effects as well as the effects of some environmental factors on productive and reproductive traits. The mean inbreeding coefficient estimated for 2414 animals, born from 1965 to 1995 was 2.94%. of these animals, 47% mere considered inbred with a mean inbreeding coefficient equal 6.25%. Milk production, lactation length, calving interval and age at first calving averaged 1493.3 +/- 60.7 kg, 271.0 +/- 37.3 days, 385.0 +/- 53.4 days and 33.05 +/- 6.05 months, respectively. Among all four traits, only lactation length was affected by inbreeding.

A note on carcass characteristics of rabbits fed on a restricted system

Thirty four 65 days old New Zealand White female rabbits. weighting 1900 +/- 40 g, were separated in 3 groups and caged individually. One group was slaughtered when 70 days old (reference group, n=14). The second group was slaughtered 50 days later after ad libitum feeding (n = 6), and the third group was slaughtered also when 120 days old, but after restricted feeding since 70 days old i.e. 50% of the spontaneous feed intake of the 65-70 days period (restricted group n=14). Whole carcass weight and carcass cuts weights were measured after 24 hours storage at +4 degrees C. For each of the 3 groups in the previous order, slaughter live weight was 1992 - 2988 and 1887g; Chilled carcass percentage were 47.9 - 51.0 and 50.1. Feed restriction decreased the loin proportion of the carcass lower than that of the reference group (27.0 - 26.1 and 22.8% for the 3 groups in the same order) but increased the posterior limbs proportion (36.5 - 36.6 and 40.1).

Desempenho em pastagens e características de carcaça da 16a progênie dos rebanhos Nelore, Guzerá e Caracu de Sertãozinho (sp)

Forty one young bulls of herds selected for 378 day's weight (W378), born in 1996, were finished on pastures of Panicum Maximum (Jacq.), Panicum Maximum (Jaq) cv. Tanzania 1 and Brachiaria brizantha (Hoschst) Stapf cv. Marandu at the Sertaozinho Experimental Station, São Paulo State, Brazil. The samples, representing the W378 mean for each herd, were composed by 11 Nellore Selection (NeS) and by 10 of each one of the groups Nelore Control (NeC), Guzera Selection (GuS) and Caracu (Ca). The slaughter was carried out when the animals were 824 days older, with a body condition score averaging 7.6, in a 1-9 scale. The minimum and maximum adjusted means for the main traits, including all groups, were: average weight daily gain, 406 (NeC) and 501 g (NeS); slaughter weight (SW), 446.8 (NeC) and 544.3 kg (NeS); carcass weight (CW), 249.8 (NeC) and 309.7 kg (NeS); dressing percentage (DP), 54.0 (GuS) and 56.3% (NeC and NeS). In the 9(th) - 11(th) rib section: muscle, 59.6 (NeC) and 65.2% (Ca); fat, 15.6 (Ca) and 21.4% (NeC); bone, 18.9 (NeC) and 20.2% (GuS); fat thickness (FT), 2.0 (Ca) and 4.2 mm (NeC); loin eye area, 65.6 (NeC) and 71.1 cm(2) (NeS and Ca); Warner-Bratzler shear force (SF), 4.5 (Ca) and 6.6 kg (GuS) and total cooking losses (TCL), 22.5 (NeC) and 24.9% (GuS). The selection for weight promoted higher SW and CW in the NeS group, without changing the DP, the physical composition of the rib, SF and TCL in the meat. However, there was lower FT compared to NeC. The GuS animals had intermediates SW and CW, compared to NeS and Ca and lower DP. The Ca animals presented higher muscle percentage, in the rib section, and also higher meat tenderness compared to the meat of the Zebu animals.

Breeding of the Scuttle Fly Megaselia scalaris in a fish Carcass and Implications for the use in Forensic Entomology (Diptera: Phoridae).

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