This work aims at evaluating shelf life of meat from Boer-Saanen cross goats fed on diets containing vitamin E. Thirty-five feedlot-fed goats with an initial body weight of 21.6±2.8kg were subjected to four treatments in a completely randomized design: a control treatment with vitamin E plus others containing 50, 150, and 450mg dl-α-tocopherol acetate/kg DM. Longissimus lumborum (LL) muscle samples were stored at temperatures between 4 and 6°C during 15days, and evaluated for lipid peroxidation using the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) method and for visual acceptance by consumers by different survival analysis techniques. The addition, vitamin E in diets influenced shelf life of LL muscle, indicating longer meat preservation as the levels of the vitamin in diet increased, as the results obtained in chemical and subjective visual assessments showed. TBARS analysis showed to be more accurate in predicting shelf life of meat than subjective visual assessment by consumers, which reached a saturation threshold of 2mg malonaldehyde/kg of meat earlier at all tested levels of vitamin E inclusion.

-The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of calcium salts of fatty acids (CSFA) to increase the dietary energy levels for Saanen goats and their effects on the lactation curve, dry matter intake, body weight, and economic results of the goats. Twenty multiparous goats, weighing an average of 63.5±10.3 kg, were randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups, each receiving one of the following dietary energy levels: a control diet consisting of 2.6 Mcal of metabolizable energy per kg of dry matter (Mcal ME/kg DM) or a test diet supplemented with CSFA (Lactoplus ® ) to obtain 2.7, 2.8, or 2.9 Mcal ME/kg DM. Goats were housed in individual stalls and were fed and milked twice daily. The animals were evaluated until 180 days in milk by measuring dry matter intake and milk yield. These measurements were used to calculate feed efficiencies and the cost-benefit ratio of diet and lactation curves using Wood's nonlinear model. Increasing dietary energy levels showed no effect on body weight. Supplementation with CSFA did not limit dry matter intake; however, it changed the shape of the lactation curve by promoting a late peak lactation with a longer duration. Milk yields at 180 days in milk had a quadratic increase with a maximum energy level at 2.85 Mcal ME/kg DM. Increasing the dietary energy level for Saanen goats using CSFA changes their lactation curves, with the best milk production achieved with a 2.85 Mcal ME/kg DM diet; however, the greatest economic results were obtained with a 2.7 Mcal ME/kg DM diet.

-Twenty-four Saanen goats, 15 multiparous and nine primiparous, were distributed in a completely randomised design in a factorial arrangement (3 diets × 2 parities). The treatments were soybean meal (SB), soybean + dry yeast (SBDY), or dry yeast (DY) as a protein source in the diet, and ground corn, mineral supplement, and corn silage (400 g/kg). The study was conducted to evaluate the nutritive value of diets containing inactive dry yeast as a protein source postpartum, postpeak, and during late lactation in dairy goats. To estimate the faecal excretion of indigestible material, neutral detergent fibre was used as an internal marker. The diets did not affect dry matter intake (DMI). However, DMI and nutrient intake were higher for multiparous goats compared with primiparous goats. The digestibility of dry matter and total digestible nutrients (TDN) were higher for primiparous goats in the postpartum period. In the postpeak and late lactation periods, there were no differences in digestibility of DM and nutrient between parities. The TDN was similar in the diets in the postpeak period and at lactation end. The goats fed the DY diet had lower urea nitrogen in blood. The use of inactive dry yeast to substitute soybean meal in diets for primiparous and multiparous lactating Saanen goats is a good alternative for maintaining the nutritional value of diets.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of feeding Saanen goat kids with calcium salts of fatty acids (CSFA) in diet, on intake, performance, digestibility of nutrients, and blood parameters. Twenty-eight uncastrated male goat kids, with round average age to 112.86 ± 4.81 days and an average body weight (BW) of 19.54 ± 2.76 kg, were distributed in a completely randomized design distributed into four groups with seven animals per group: one control group fed a diet containing 2.5 Mcal metabolizable energy (ME)/kg dry matter (DM) and three groups fed a diet containing 2.6, 2.7, or 2.8 Mcal ME/kg DM, with CSFA added to increase the energy levels. The animals were fed the diets until they reached an average BW of 28 kg. There was hardly any apparent effect of dietary CSFA on intake of DM and organic matter (OM). The digestibility of DM and OM showed an improvement with 2.64 and 2.65 Mcal ME/kg DM in the diet. The diets containing CSFA improved average daily gain and reduced the time on the feedlot to 30 days fed diet with 2.8 Mcal ME/kg DM. However, lipid supplementation increased serum cholesterol levels. Thus, CSFA can be used to increase the energy density of the diet in finisher Saanen goat kids and improve performance by reducing days on feedlot.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the supply of wet brewers grain silage with and without nutrient additives in ensiling (wheat bran, soybeans hulls and ground corn), and the effect of additives on the intake and digestibility of dry matter and nutrients as well as the efficiency, production and milk composition of Holstein cows. Four multiparous Holstein cows were used, with an average milk production of 25 liters per day. The cows were randomly assigned, via the Latin Square design (4x4), to one of four experimental diets. The experimental period was 21 days. The results obtained in the experiment were evaluated by analysis of variance, Fisher's F test and Tukey's test at 5 % probability. The experimental diets consisted of wet brewers grain silage alone, and this silage with the addition of wheat bran, soybean hulls or ground corn. The diets did not affect the initial body weight of the animals. Diets containing wheat bran and ground corn provided a higher intake of dry matter (21.78 -1 DM) when cows were fed diets containing soybean hulls and ground corn, respectively, were higher than other diets. The different diets did not change daily milk production, milk production corrected for 3.5 % fat or milk composition. The milk urea nitrogen from cows fed ground corn diets was a lower concentration (17.67 mg dL -1 ), however, it was still above the suitable range (10 to 14 mg dL -1 ). Providing wet brewers grain silage with soybeans hulls or ground corn to Holstein cows increased the digestibility of dry matter and nutrients. However, the use of silages with wheat bran, soybean hulls or ground corn did not alter the efficiency, production or milk composition of cows fed with these silages. Key words: Nutrient additives. Agro-industrial by-products. Ground corn. Soybean hulls. Milk urea nitrogen. Wheat bran. ResumoObjetivou-se avaliar a inclusão do farelo de trigo (FT), casca do grão de soja (CGS) ou milho moído (MM) na ensilagem do resíduo úmido de cervejaria (RUC), e seus efeitos sobre o consumo e a digestibilidade da matéria seca e dos nutrientes, bem como, sobre a eficiência, produção e composição do leite de vacas da raça Holandês. Foram utilizadas quatro vacas da raça Holandês, multíparas, com produção média de 28 litros/dia, distribuídas no delineamento em quadrado latino (4x4), com quatro períodos experimentais de 21 dias e quatro silagens. As vacas foram alimentadas com dietas compostas por feno de Tifton 85, silagens do RUC e ração concentrada. Os tratamentos consistiram de silagem do RUC (SRUC), silagem do RUC com FT (SRFT), CGS (SRCGS) ou MM (SRMM). As dietas não interferiram no peso corporal dos animais. As inclusões do FT ou MM, na ensilagem do RUC, proporcionaram maiores consumos de matéria seca e matéria orgânica das dietas SRFT e SRMM. As maiores digestibilidades da matéria seca, orgânica, fibra em detergente neutro e proteína bruta foram observadas nas dietas SRCGS e SRMM. A produção diária, a produção corrigida para 3,5 % de gordura e a composição do leite não foram alteradas pela...