To assess the intake, digestibility of nutrients, ingestive behavior, performance, and carcass characteristics of feedlot lambs, 36 F1 Santa Ines × Dorper male lambs with an initial average weight of 19.5 ± 0.27 kg were fed with different levels of spineless cactus (0, 33, 66, and 100 %) as a replacement of the wheat bran. The replacement diets had no effect on the intake of dry matter (DM) or crude protein (CP), whose average values were 962 and 140 g/day, respectively. There was a quadratic effect on the intake of digestible organic matter (OM) and the digestibility of DM, CP, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and non-fiber carbohydrates (NFC). The highest average daily gain (ADG) of 168 g/day was achieved at 58.7 % replacement level. The highest hot and cold carcass weights of 15.4 and 14.5 kg were achieved at 62.4 and 56.9 % replacement levels. For lambs in the feedlot, we recommend replacing wheat bran with up to 58.7 % spineless cactus.

Resumo Objetivou-se avaliar as características estruturais, a produção de massa seca e a composição bromatológica de cultivares de Brachiaria e Panicum. O estudo foi conduzido em casa-de-vegetação, em delineamento em blocos casualizados, com cinco tratamentos, sendo três cultivares de Brachiaria (B. decumbens cv. Basilisk, B. brizantha cv. Marandu e cv. Xaraés) e dois cultivares de Panicum (P. maximum cv. Mombaça e cv. Tanzânia), com quatro repetições. De modo geral, maior número de folhas, comprimento laminar e perfilhos foram verificados nas cultivares Mombaça, Tanzânia e Basilisk. As cultivares Tanzânia e Mombaça se destacaram na produção de massa seca, em relação a cv. Marandu, com as outras cultivares com posição intermediária, enquanto a cultivar Xaraés apresentou a maior relação lâmina/colmo. Não houve diferenças nos teores de proteína bruta entre as cultivares, enquanto os teores de fibra em detergente neutro e fibra em detergente ácido foram inferiores para Marandu e Xaraés. Com base nos resultados, todas as cultivares poderiam ser recomendadas, atendendo-se às suas diferentes exigências nutricionais,

-The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different concentrate levels (40, 50, 60, and 70% on dry matter basis) on intake, digestibility of nutrients, and performance of heifers fed sugarcane bagasse as exclusive roughage. Twenty Girolando heifers, with an average body weight of 198±25.6 kg were assigned to a completely randomized design, established according to body weight.

-The effect was evaluated of feed supplementation (0.0, 0.4, 0.8, and 1.2% of body weight) on the qualitative aspects of goat meat (moisture, ash, fat, protein, colouring using the CIE (L*, a* and b *) system, pH, cooking loss and shear force), and also on the sensory attributes of goat aroma, off-aroma, colour, texture, tenderness, flavour, off-flavour, juiciness and overall appearance. A total of 32 crossbred Anglo-Nubian goats were used, organised into randomised blocks and finished on a pasture of caatinga. There was a quadratic effect (p<0.05) on the levels of ash and protein, with a maximum of 1.06 and 20.44 g/100 g respectively. A positive linear affect (p<0.05) was seen on fat levels, with an increase of 0.52 g/100 g. There was a negative linear effect (p<0.05) on the qualitative parameters of cooking loss, shear force and L*, with decreases of 3.32%, 0.77 kgf/cm 2 and 3.39 respectively, and a quadratic effect (p<0.05) on a*, with a maximum of 9.13. There was a quadratic effect (p<0.05) on the parameter b*, with a maximum of 8.12, while the pH was not affected, with an average of 5.57. The sensory attributes were not influenced (p>0.05) by feed supplementation, except for colour and general appearance. Feed supplementation at 0.8% of body weight provides an increase in ash, fat and protein levels associated with qualitative improvements in cooking loss, tenderness and colouring, with increases in the sensory attributes of colour and overall appearance. RESUMO -Avaliou-se o efeito da suplementação alimentar (0; 0,4; 0,8 e 1,2% do peso corporal) sobre os aspectos qualitativos da carne caprina (umidade, cinzas, gordura, proteína, coloração da carne pelo sistema CIE (L*, a* e b*), pH, perda por cocção e força de cisalhamento) e atributos sensoriais aroma caprino, aroma estranho, cor, textura, maciez, sabor caprino, sabor estranho, suculência e aparência geral. Utilizou-se 32 caprinos mestiços da raça Anglonubiana que foram distribuídos segundo delineamento em blocos casualizados, sendo terminados pastagem de caatinga. Houve efeito quadrático (p<0,05) para os teores de cinza e proteína, com máxima de 1,06 e 20,44 g/100 g, respectivamente. Verificou-se efeito linear positivo (p<0,05) sobre o teor de gordura, com incremento de 0,52 g/100 g. Os parâmetros qualitativos foram influenciados (p<0,05), com efeito linear negativo (p<0,05) sobre a perda por cocção, força de cisalhamento e L*, com decréscimos de 3,32%; 0,77 kgf/cm 2 e 3,39, respectivamente, e efeito quadrático (p<0,05) para a*, com máxima de 9,13. O parâmetro b* apresentou efeito quadrático (p<0,05), com máxima 8,12, ao contrário do pH que não foi influenciado, com média 5,57. Os atributos sensoriais não foram influenciados (p>0,05) pela suplementação alimentar, com exceção da cor e aparência geral. A suplementação alimentar com 0,8% do peso corporal propicia elevação nos teores de cinza, gordura e proteína, associados a melhoras qualitativas sobre a perda por cocção, maciez e coloração, com incrementos dos atributos sensoriais de cor e aparênc...

-Dry fecal matter production was estimated from neutral detergent indicators on indigestible fiber, indigestible acid detergent fiber, indigestible dry matter, incubated for 144 hours and 288 hours, as well as chromium oxide (Cr 2 O 3 ) and enriched and purified isolated lignin (LIPE ® ) in two sampling schemes (3 and 5 days) on buffaloes. Sample consisted of five castrated animals with average weight of 300 ± 0.6 kg fed on elephant grass cv Cameroon (Pennisetum purpureum).Experimental design consisted of randomized blocks in subdivided plots. Production of dry fecal matter was overestimated when using Cr 2 O 3 , indigestible acid detergent fiber 144 hours, indigestible neutral detergent fiber 144 hours, indigestible neutral detergent fiber 288 hours and indigestible dry matter 144 hours, while indigestible acid detergent fiber 288 hours, indigestible dry matter 288 hours and LIPE ® did not differ from total collection. The same result was observed for apparent digestibility of nutrients. There was no difference in dry fecal matter production and digestibility between both collection periods of 3 and 5 days, demonstrating that a collection period of three days can be used to estimate dry fecal matter production in buffaloes.A three-day period of sample collection, in order to estimate dry fecal matter production and apparent digestibility coefficients, is therefore recommended. The use of LIPE ® , fibers in indigestible acid detergent and indigestible dry matter as indicators, both latter incubated for 288 hours, result in accurate estimates of dry fecal matter production in confined buffaloes, fed on a forage based diet.