A ensilagem é o principal processo de conservação de forragem, sendo bastante utilizada em períodos de baixa oferta de massa forrageira no pasto ou em sistemas mais intensivos da produção animal. Diversos fatores afetam a qualidade da silagem, tanto no momento da colheita quanto no período de armazenagem e abertura do silo, podendo ocasionar redução da qualidade nutritiva. Na conservação das forrageiras, é fundamental controlar as perdas de matéria seca para que teor nutritivo não reduza drasticamente. Há ainda outras perdas em forma de efluentes, que são produzidos por excesso de umidade; as perdas em forma de gases que são resultantes das reações fermentativas, produzindo dióxido de carbono na qual interfere diretamente na qualidade nutricional. Uma das maneiras de reduzir as perdas é a utilização de aditivos no processo da ensilagem, pois promoverá um ambiente adequado para produção do ácido lático e inibirá o crescimento de microrganismos deteriorantes. Desta forma, é evidente a importância de conhecer as perdas que estão relacionadas no processo da ensilagem, a fim de minimizá-las e obter como resultado uma silagem apropriada para o uso no sistema de produção animal.

The objective was to determine zoometric indices, correlate, and predict body weight based on the biometric measurements of F1 Dorper × Santa Inês (F1 D × SI) ewes created extensively. Were 25 F1 D × SI sheep monitored, with ages varying from 2 to 9 months. Body weight, thoracic perimeter, belly perimeter, body length, withers height, rump height, rump width, and rump length were measured on a monthly basis and zoometric indices were estimated from them. Descriptive data analysis, Pearson's correlation, and regression analysis were performed. The biometric measurements and zoometric indices of F1 D × SI ewes indicate an animal of aptitude for cutting, with good conformation. In addition, they demonstrate favorable aspects for reproduction, a fundamental characteristic in the selection of matrices. Body weight has a high and positive correlation for all characteristics analyzed, with values ranging from 0.74 of the rump length to 0.88 of the thoracic perimeter. The regressions for all biometric measurements were highly significant (P <0.0001) with an emphasis on the thoracic perimeter that has the highest coefficient of determination (R² = 0.77), the other measures presented below 0.70. It was concluded that F1 Dorper × Santa Inês ewes have characteristics for meat production and for reproduction. Also, of the biometric measurements, the thoracic perimeter can be used to predict the body weight of F1 Dorper × Santa Inês ewes.

This study aimed to evaluate the ingestive behavior and body surface temperature of F1 Holstein × Zebu cows that were non-lactating in the final third of gestation and managed in two pastoral environments. Forty F1 Holstein × Zebu cows divided into two pastoral environments were evaluated: signal grass (Urochloa decumbens cv. Basilisk) deferred at the beginning of regrowth and pasture of xaraés grass (Urochloa brizantha cv. Xaraés) in vegetative growth in four periods during the day (morning, afternoon, night and dawn), following the completely randomized design in a factorial scheme. Each cow is the experimental unit. The total grazing time was 32.22% higher in the signal grass than xaraés grass (average of 479.50 minutes). There was an interaction between the pastoral environments and the times of day on the black globe temperature and humidity index (BGHI). In the pasture of signal grass, the BGHI was 19.07% higher in the morning and afternoon periods than the average (68.95) verified during the night and dawn. F1 Holstein × Zebu cows grazing time in the final third of gestation is influenced by the pasture condition and not by the climate since they feed in a high BGHI environment.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the forage mass, morphogenetic and structural characteristics, and nutritional value of tropical forage grasses in semiarid conditions. Nine grasses were evaluated, namely, three cultivars of Urochloa brizantha (Marandu, MG4, and Piatã); Urochloa decumbens cv. Basilisk; Urochloa humidicola cv. Llanero; Urochloa ruziziensis cv. Kennedy; and three cultivars of Megathyrsus maximum (Massai, Mombaça, and Tanzania). The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design in a split-plot arrangement in which the main factor were the grass cultivars and the secondary factor the seasons, with five replications per treatment. The statistical model included the fixed effect of treatment (grass), whereas the season was included as a random effect within treatments. Urochloa brizantha cvs. Marandu, MG4, and Piatã and Urochloa decumbens cv. Basilisk produced on average 858 kg ha-1 more forage mass than cvs. Kennedy and Basilisk. Megathyrsus maximum cv. Mombaça produced 40% more forage mass than the other cultivars of M. maximum (4205 vs. 3001 kg ha-1). Urochloa ruziziensis cv. Kennedy showed the lowest water use efficiency (36%). Urochloa ruziziensis cv. Kennedy exhibited the lowest leaf weight among the Urochloa cultivars (740 vs. 1319 kg ha-1). There was no treatment effect for leaf weight in the M. maximum cultivars. Urochloa ruziziensis cv. Kennedy showed the highest values of total digestible nutrients and dry matter digestibility (1.84 and 2.34%, respectively) among the other Urochloa cultivars. The M. maximum cultivars showed little differences in nutritional values. Cultivars Marandu, Piatã, and Massai exhibited better productive responses in the edaphoclimatic conditions of this study. However, future studies must be conducted evaluating the adaptation of the forage grass under semiarid conditions. Considering the settings of this study, the grasses Urochloa brizantha cvs. MG4, Marandu, and Piatã, as well as Megathyrsus maximum cvs. Massai and Mombaça, can be used in the semiarid condition.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the trainer and the adopted daily work on the behavior and performance of horses of the Mangalarga Marchador breed on a horse farm and in racetracks in northern Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Twenty equines and nine trainers from four farms and three competition events of the breed were observed. The experiment was divided into two stages. In the first stage, the animals were observed together with their trainer on the farm, during the daily work, and the behavior reactions were recorded based on scores. The duration of training and the behavior told by the trainer of the animal were recorded in scores. The second stage happened in three competitions of the breed in agricultural fairs. The same observations were made on horse farms, including the behavior of the animal, before and after the trial, as well as the emotional state in the same period. For data analysis, multivariate statistics were used based on the principal components and factor analysis, using the statistical software R (version 3.3.2). From the data analyzed, it was verified that the variables embouchure, behavior and voice of the presenter, and reward and incentive in the competition influenced the reactivity of the animal. Variables of human behavior in training influenced the animal behavior variables in training. The behavior of the trainer and the form of the training, as well as the fact that the trainer is the presenter, interfered in the behavior of the horses on the horse farm and in the competitions, resulting in safer animals. However, the need for time adaptation and training management is necessary for the whole man × animal relation to get better rankings in the race competitions.