The objective of this study was to evaluate carcass yield, measurements, cuts, and fat deposition of sheep fed banana pseudostem hay and Tifton 85 grass hay, with or without virginiamycin. Thirty-three uncastrated male Dorper × Santa Ines crossbred lambs at five months of age, with an average body weight of 25.00 ± 1.95 kg, were used in a feedlot experiment. The following four diets were evaluated: Tifton 85 grass hay plus concentrate with virginiamycin, banana pseudostem hay replacing 60% of Tifton 85 grass hay plus concentrate with virginiamycin, Tifton 85 grass hay plus concentrate without virginiamycin, and banana pseudostem hay replacing 60% of Tifton 85 grass hay plus concentrate without virginiamycin. The experiment was set in a completely randomized design, in a factorial scheme, using orthogonal contrasts. The diet replacing 60% Tifton 85 grass hay by banana pseudostem hay without virginiamycin had no effect on carcass traits. The combination of virginiamycin and Tifton 85 grass hay provided increases in warm carcass weight, warm carcass yield, spine, omental and mesenteric fat deposition, and, regardless of roughage, increases in the thoracic perimeter.

RuminantsFull-length research article Use of banana (Musa sp.) pseudostem hay in feedlot sheep feeding ABSTRACT -The objective with this study was to evaluate intake, feeding behavior, rumen fluid characteristics, performance, and nutrient digestibility of sheep fed banana pseudostem hay (BPH) with and without virginiamycin (VM). Thirty-two uncastrated male crossbred Dorper × Santa Inês lambs at approximately five months of age, with an average initial body weight of 25.00±1.95 kg, were used in the experiment. Four diets were tested, as follows: Tifton grass hay (TGH) plus concentrate with VM; BPH replacing 60% of TGH plus concentrate with VM; TGH plus concentrate without VM; and BPH replacing 60% of TGH plus concentrate without VM. The experiment was set up as a completely randomized design in a 2×2 factorial arrangement, in which the factors were represented by BPH and TGH with and without VM, organized in an orthogonal contrast. Banana pseudostem hay inclusion influenced nutrient intake, except for non-fibrous carbohydrates corrected for ash and protein. Neither idling nor water intake times were changed by VM inclusion or banana pseudostem hay addition. Rumen fluid pH did not differ among the contrasts (THV+BHV) vs. (TH+BH), THV vs. TH, and BHV vs. BH, which were used to evaluate VM influence. Banana pseudostem increased rumen fluid pH in the contrast THV vs. BHV, both treatments including VM. Mean temperature of rumen fluid was 34.07 °C, and it did not change by inclusions of VM or banana pseudostem hay. No difference was observed for crude protein digestibility in the evaluated contrasts. When associated with virginiamycin, banana pseudostem hay provides satisfactory performance and nutritional parameters for feedlot sheep. Virginiamycin does not change the performance or nutritional parameters of these animals when Tifton grass hay is used as the only roughage source.

ABSTRACT:The examination of the ruminal fluid has great importance in the diagnosis of microbial and biochemical alterations of reticulum and rumen. In the state of Pará buffaloes are produced extensively, mainly in pastures of Brachiaria brizantha. The physiologic parameters of the ruminal content in buffaloes in this condition had not been determined. The objective of this study was to establish normal values for reticulum-ruminal fluid examination in buffaloes in pastures of B. brizantha. Twenty buffaloes of the Murrah breed were used. Samples of ruminal fluid were obtained during 4 days, twice a day, at 7:00am and 5:00pm. The aspect, color, smell, and the sedimentation and fluctuation period (TSF) of the fluid were analyzed macroscopically. Physico-chemical analysis included pH, glucose fermentation, methilene blue reduction (RAM) and total acidity. All animal had a green-olive ruminal fluid with viscous consistency, and aromatic smell. The pH varied from 6.95 to 7.03. The RAM test varied from 126.74 to 291.83 seconds and the TSF from 266.7 to 298.89 seconds. Glucose fermentation produced 0.69 to 0.78 ml of gas per hour. Total acidity was 18.11 to 18.32 UC. In the microbiologic examination the number of protozoa was 551,377.31 to 518,860.72 with predominance of Gram negative bacteria.