Rações úmidas e água de consumo e racão com edulcorante para leitões desmamados aos 21 dias e efeitos sobre o desempenho até os 90 kg de peso vivo

Um experimento foi realizado visando avaliar o fornecimento de rações úmidas e de água de consumo e rações com edulcorante para leitões desmamados e seus efeitos sobre o desempenho até o 90kg de peso vivo. Foram utilizados 32 leitões Large White x Landrace, desmamados aos 21 dias, submetidos, durante a fase inicial I (21 a 42 dias de idade), a 8 tratamentos correspondentes à combinação dos fatores: forma de apresentação da ração (seca e úmida), tipo de ração (sem e com edulcorante) e água de consumo (sem e com edulcorante). Foram avaliados a ocorrência de diarréia até o 10º dia pós-desmame, o ganho diário de peso (GDP), o consumo diário de ração (CDR) e a conversão alimentar (CA) até os 90kg de peso vivo. O consumo diário de água (CDA) foi avaliado na fase inicial I. O delineamento foi em blocos ao acaso, com arranjo fatorial 2³, com quatro repetições, sendo as médias comparadas pelo teste de Tukey e a incidência de diarréia pelo teste de qui-quadrado. Foram observadas diferenças (P<0,05), na fase inicial I, para o CDA para os grupos tratados com ração seca e para o CDR para os animais que receberam água com edulcorante. A ocorrência de diarréia foi maior (P<0,05) para os animais tratados com ração seca. O desempenho até os 90 kg de peso vivo foi semelhante entre os fatores (P>0,05). O experimento demonstrou que os tratamentos dirigidos na fase pós-desmame são insuficientes para melhorar os resultados até os 90kg de peso vivo.

Utilização de dietas úmidas e de rações e água de bebida com edulcorante para leitões desmamados aos 21 dias de idade e efeitos sobre o desenvolvimento histológico e enzimático intestinal

Um experimento foi realizado com leitões desmamados visando avaliar os efeitos de oito tratamentos, correspondentes à combinação dos fatores, apresentações de ração (seca e úmida), tipos de ração (sem e com edulcorante) e tipos de água de consumo (sem e com edulcorante) sobre o desenvolvimento morfológico e enzimático intestinal. Foram avaliadas a altura das vilosidades (V), a profundidade das criptas (C) e a relação altura das vilosidades e profundidade das criptas (V:C) do duodeno e do jejuno, o conteúdo de proteína na mucosa do jejuno, e as atividades enzimáticas (UA) da maltase, sacarase e dipeptidase. Utilizaram-se 32 leitões machos castrados, Large White x Landrace, desmamados aos 21 dias, submetidos aos tratamentos durante oito dias. O delineamento experimental foi em blocos casualizados, com oito tratamentos, fatorial 2 x 2 x 2, com quatro repetições. Foram observadas diferenças para a altura das vilosidades do duodeno para os grupos tratados com dieta úmida e ração com edulcorante e para a relação V:C do duodeno para os animais que receberam ração com edulcorante. Houve diferença para a UA da sacarase e da maltase para os grupos que receberam água sem edulcorante. As características histológicas foram favorecidas pelas dietas úmidas, o que pode sugerir que esta apresentação foi menos agressiva ao trato digestivo. Para os demais fatores os resultados contrariaram as expectativas de que o tratamento água com edulcorante melhoraria a qualidade do epitélio intestinal. A fase crítica pela qual os leitões foram submetidos, possivelmente, comprometeu os resultados.

Effects of Feeding Cobalt Dextro Lac (CDL) on Feedlot Performance and Carcass Value of Finishing Steers Fed Wet Corn Gluten Feed

A 192-day experiment involving 144 young Angus steers fed growing and finishing diets containing 20% corn gluten feed was conducted to evaluate feeding a soluble source of readily available cobalt. No benefits were observed in rate of gain, feed intake or carcass value by feeding the available source of cobalt.

The Effects of Feeding a Live Microbial Product on Feedlot Performance and Carcass Value of Finishing Steers Fed Wet Corn Gluten Feed

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of daily feeding a live microbial preparation containing two live organisms to finishing cattle. One organism was a lactobacillus, and the other was a propionibacterium, thought to work in concert to improve fermentation in the rumen and overall digestion. The study was conducted with Angus steers with an average initial weight of 550 lbs that were fed a finishing ration containing 50% wet corn gluten feed on a dry basis for 184 days. Feeding the microbial product improved daily gain and feed efficiency 1.7% and 2.4%, respectively, but the differences were not statistically significant. The microbial preparation increased carcass weights 1% but had no effects on quality or yield grades. It is concluded that potential benefits of this product are more likely to be greater when cattle are fed high grain rations rather than diets containing high concentrations of corn gluten feed.

Relative Feeding Value of Wet Corn Steep Liquor When Fed to Finishing Cattle

Corn steep liquor is a liquid by-product containing condensed steep water and condensed distillers solubles from a wet corn milling plant. Finishing steers weighing nine hundred and seventy-five pounds were fed cornbased finishing diets containing 0%, 6%, or 12% corn steep liquor for 84 days. Feeding corn steep liquor did not affect performance of the steers or carcass characteristics. Based on value of feeds replaced in the diet, steep liquor had a value of $55 to $60/ton (50% dry matter) when used to replace corn and supplemental protein in a corn-based finishing diet.

Relative Feeding Value of Wet Corn Distillers Solubles as a Feed for Finishing Cattle

For 126 days, 850 lb. steers were fed diets of corn, corn silage, and ground hay containing either 0%, 4%, or 8% wet distillers solubles obtained from an Iowa dry mill ethanol plant. Addition of distillers solubles resulted in a linear decrease in feed consumption. Gains were increased 3.2% and decreased 6.4% by feeding 4% and 8% distillers solubles, respectively. Compared to the control diet, feed required per pound of gain was reduced 5% by low levels of distillers solubles and 1.5% by high levels. Feeding distillers solubles had no effect on carcass measurements. It was concluded that wet distillers solubles has value as a feed for cattle and can replace a portion of corn grain and supplemental nitrogen in a corn-based finishing diet for beef cattle. The decreased performance of steers fed the 8% level suggests that there might be a maximum amount of wet distiller solubles that can be fed to finishing cattle.

The multidimensional causal factors of ‘wet litter’ in chicken-meat production

The problem of ‘wet litter’, which occurs primarily in grow-out sheds for meat chickens (broilers), has been recognised for nearly a century. Nevertheless, it is an increasingly important problem in contemporary chicken-meat production as wet litter and associated conditions, especially footpad dermatitis, have developed into tangible welfare issues. This is only compounded by the market demand for chicken paws and compromised bird performance. This review considers the multidimensional causal factors of wet litter. While many causal factors can be listed it is evident that the critical ones could be described as micro-environmental factors and chief amongst them is proper management of drinking systems and adequate shed ventilation. Thus, this review focuses on these environmental factors and pays less attention to issues stemming from health and nutrition. Clearly, there are times when related avian health issues of coccidiosis and necrotic enteritis cannot be overlooked and the development of efficacious vaccines for the latter disease would be advantageous. Presently, the inclusion of phytate-degrading enzymes in meat chicken diets is routine and, therefore, the implication that exogenous phytases may contribute to wet litter is given consideration. Opinion is somewhat divided as how best to counter the problem of wet litter as some see education and extension as being more beneficial than furthering research efforts. However, it may prove instructive to assess the practice of whole grain feeding in relation to litter quality and the incidence of footpad dermatitis. Additional research could investigate the relationships between dietary concentrations of key minerals and the application of exogenous enzymes with litter quality.

Ecology of the Asian Elephant in Southern India. II. Feeding Habits and Crop Raiding Patterns

The Asian elephant's foraging strategy in its natural habitat and in cultivation was studied in southern India during 1981-83. Though elephants consumed at least 112 plant species in the study area, about 85% of their diet consisted of only 25 species from the order Malvales and the families Leguminosae, Palmae, Cyperaceae and Gramineae. Alteration between a predominantly browse diet during the dry season with a grass diet during the early wet season was related to the seasonally changing protein content of grasses. Crop raiding, which was sporadic during the dry season, gradually increased with more area being cultivated with the onset of rains. Raiding frequency reached a peak during October-December, with some villages being raided almost every night, when finger millet (Eleusine coracana) was cultivated by most farmers. The monthly frequency of raiding was related to the seasonal movement of elephant herds and to the size of the enclave. Of their total annual food requirement, adult bull elephants derived an estimated 9.3% and family herds 1.7% in quantity from cultivated land. Cultivated cereal and millet crops provided significantly more protein, calcium and sodium than the wild grasses. Ultimately, crop raiding can be thought of as an extension of the elephant's optimal foraging strategy.

Feeding selectivity of brown trout (Salmo trutta) in Loch Ness, Scotland

The aim of this study was to compare statistically the zooplankton assemblage ingested by brown trout (Salmo trutta) in Loch Ness with that of the zooplankton in the water column. This would allow the examination of the apparent paradox that very few copepods appear to be consumed by trout at a time of year when they are numerous and readily available as food. The investigation was limited to the crustacean zooplankters, since the Rotifera are generally so small that they are only of interest to fish in the first few days of life. 25 trout were obtained from anglers, and the stomach contents of non-"ferox" animals analysed. Samples of pelagic zooplankton were obtained approximately monthly from 30-m vertical net-hauls (mesh size 100 km). It is concluded that the variation in dietary composition with trout wet weight indicates an ontogenetic habitat shift producing spatial separation of young and older individuals.

Effect of feeding bioencapsulated Lactobacillus sp. in live Tubifex sp. on the growth performance of gold fish Carassius auratus (Linnaeus, 1758)

An attempt was made to feed bioencapsulate Lactobacillus sp. in live fish food organism Tubifex for use in the culture of gold fish Carassius auratus. The C. auratus fries when fed with bioencapsulated Lactobacillus sp. in Tubifex showed significant improvement in total wet weight gain (p<0.007) and FCR (p<0.01) compared to control. The specific growth rale and mean survival were slightly higher, although insignificantly (p>0.05) in bioencapsulated Tubifex fed group. None of the bacteriological parameters of the fish gut between the experimental and control groups differed significantly (p>0.05). Lactobacillus sp. was recorded at a level of log 5.11/g on the 90th day of experimentation. When the experimental C. auratus fries were infected with Pseudomonas fluorescents, the bioencapsulated Tubifex fed group resisted the infection. The survival was significantly higher (p<0.05) in bioencapsulated Tubifex fed group (44%) than in control (22%). The C. auratus fed with bioencapsulated Tubifex showed less (55%) signs of tail/fin rot. Likewise, a significant improvement in total wet weight gain (p<0.009), FCR (p<0.01) and SGR (p<0.04) of C. auratus brooder fed with bioencapsulated Tubifex was seen compared to control group fed with depurated Tubifex.

Study of density, distribution and yield on benthic fauna and brown trout (Salmo trutta fario) feeding in Laar reservoirs

Lar lake, with the international UTM specification of 39S 579680 3976567 & 39S 589930 3976184 is Situated in Lar national Park with an aerial distance of 55 Km of Tehran along Haraz road. The present research is carried out as part of a comprehensives Plan for assessment of bioresearches of Lar lake & the rivers flowing into it. This research includes examination of there benthic Samplings performed in Lar lake and each of the related rivers including Delichaee, Ab-e-sefid , Alarm & Lar (Kamardasht).Tubifex and Chironomus genus were found to have the highest frequencies of occurrence in the lake with %77.117 & %21.823 respectively followed by Chironomidae and Simulidae from the Diptera order which accounted for %72.328 and %13.812 occurrences in four rivers examined in the Study. The benthic biomass at various examined Sites and the average wet weight of the benthic biomass in station No one in the lake Was 17.397g and the figure for the examined site in Alarm was 20.242 g which were the highest level among Other examination stations the index for the abundance of species in Alarm river was greater than the rest of the examined rivers with 12.57. A sum of 354 Pieces of brown trouts was caught in the course of sampling which were closely investigated in terms of their digestive tract Content. It was identified that Daphniidae and Chironomus constituted the bulk of eaten items from the lake with %17.985 and %63.973 respectively. Meanwhile, Chironomidae and Simuladae were the most frequently eanten benthos by the fish with %81.47 and %7.93 respectively.The index for the relative length of gut was recorded at 0.49± 0.08 which is well indicative of the carnivorous diet of the fish.The index for the feeding intensity amounted to 138  83 showing that the one year old fish were of more feeding intensity.The coefficient of condition (K) was estimated at 1.02  0.142 for all the caught fish. The average wet weight of the benthos was 10.348 g per square meter which if extended to 700ha surface area of the lake, the total macrobenthic production in the lake would amount to 72730Kg of wet weight or 6510 Kg of dry weight. Since the Secondary Production of macrobenthos have always been double that of their biomass, it is reasonable to assume that the Secondary Production of macrobenthos amount to 145640 Kg by their wet weight and Since the energy transfer in the food chain of the lake from benthos to fish is 10 percent, the fish production Capacity Coming from benthic resources of the lake (Lar) would be 14.5 MT, half of which (7000-8000MT) could annually be harvested. Further more, the actual fish Production Capacity might exceed the projected level Since Daphnia, Rotifers and Ostracoda which belong to Zooplanktons, play a part in the natural diet of trout. Meanwhile, rivers Play a major role in fish nutrition and the annual fish production in Delichaee river is about 4481.8Kg while the figures for Ab-e-sefid, Alerm and Lar rivers are 2370.7 4848.7 and 2586.2 Kg respectively, that further increase fish Production in the area and every year half of these resources can be exploitable from the river & the lake.Nevertheless, due to ecological & biological importance of rivers and the probability of environmental Pollution, devastation of natural fish habitats & their nursery grounds, Sport fishing is not recommended at all.

Growth performance of juvenile white sturgeon as affected by feeding regimen

Juvenile (mean +/- SE, 8.6 +/- 0.1 g) white sturgeon Acipenser transmontanus were fed for 8 weeks under one of six feeding regimens: continuously 24 h/d (C24); continuously 12.8 h/d during the day (C12/D), continuously 12.8 h/d at night (C12/N), 6 meals/d (M6), 4 meals/d (M4), and 2 meals/d (M2). Specific growth rate, feed efficiency, and body lipid content were significantly (P < 0.05) affected by the feeding regimen. These variables were highest in the C24 group and lowest in the M2 group; fish in the M6 group showed the second best performance. Specific growth rate and feed efficiency in terms of wet weight in the M6 groups were not significantly different from those in the C24 groups, but specific growth rate in terms of energy and energy retention efficiency were significantly lower. Feeding regimen had no effect on condition factor, hepatosomatic index, coefficient of variation in final body weight, and protein and ash contents. There was no significant difference in these indexes between 12.8-h/d continuous feeding by day or by night. It was concluded that continuous feeding for 24 h/d was the optimum feeding regimen for juvenile white sturgeon.

Feeding and growth on bivalve biodeposits by the deposit feeder Stichopus japonicus Selenka (Echinodennata : Holothuroidea) co-cultured in lantern nets

Suspension aquaculture of filter-feeding bivalves has been developing rapidly in coastal waters in the world, especially in China. Previous studies have demonstrated that dense populations of filter-feeding bivalves in shallow water can produce a large amount of faeces and pseudofaeces (biodeposits) that may lead to negative impacts on the benthic environment. To determine whether the deposit feeder Stichopus (Apostichopus) japonicus Selenka can feed on bivalve biodeposits and whether the sea cucumber can be co-cultured with bivalves in suspended lantern nets, three experiments were conducted, two in tanks in the laboratory and one in the field. In a 3-month flow-through experiment, results showed that sea cucumbers grew well with specific growth rate (SGR) reaching 1.38% d(-1), when cultured in the bottom of tanks (10 m(3) water volume) where scallops were cultured in suspension in lantern nets. Moreover, results of another laboratory experiment demonstrated that sea cucumbers could survive well on bivalve biodeposits, with a feeding rate of 1.82 +/- 0.13 g dry biodeposits ind(-1) d(-1), absorption efficiency of organic matter in biodeposits of 17.2% +/- 5.5%, and average SGR of 1.60% d(-1). Our longer-term field experiments in two coastal bays (Sishili Bay and Jiaozhou Bay, northern China) showed that S. japonicus co-cultured with bivalves also grew well at growth rates (0.09-0.31 g wet weight ind(-1) d(-1)) depending on individual size. The results suggest that bivalve lantern nets can provide a good habitat for sea cucumbers; and the co-culture of bivalve molluscs with sea cucumbers may provide an additional valuable crop with no additional inputs. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of the acanthocephalan parasite Echinorhynchus truttae on the feeding ecology of Gammarus pulex (Crustacea : Amphipoda)

The amphipod Gammarus pulex is an intermediate host to the acanthocephalan fish parasite Echinorhynchus truttae. Gammarus pulex has a wide trophic repertoire, feeding as a herbivore, detritivore and predator. In this study an examination was made of the effects of E. truttae parasitism on components of the G. pulex diet: stream-conditioned leaves, dead chironomids and live juvenile isopods Asellus aquaticus. Over 21 days, parasitism had no effect on daily feeding rates or wet weights of G. pulex fed on leaves or chironomids. Parasitism had a significant effect on the number of A. aquaticus killed by G. pulex, with parasitized individuals killing significantly fewer than their unparasitized counterparts. In addition, unparasitized amphipods killed all size classes of A. aquaticus indiscriminately, whereas parasitized animals tended to kill the smaller size classes. The impacts of the parasitism of G. pulex throughout the wider freshwater community are discussed.

Feeding habits of the maned wolf, Chrysocyon brachyurus (Carnivora: Canidae), in southeast Brazil

The feeding habits of the maned wolf were studied in southeast Brazil to understand its response towards changes in the environment and in relation to its prey. By occurrence, miscellaneous fruits, small mammals and wolf`s fruit were the most consumed items. Armadillos, small mammals and wolf`s fruit ( Solanum lycocarpum) provided most of the ingested biomass. While wolf`s fruit and small mammals were mainly consumed in the dry season, other miscellaneous fruits were taken mostly in the wet season. There was selectivity in the predation on some small mammal species. The maned wolf`s diet followed patterns similar to those found in more pristine areas.