Abstract This study was aimed at the effects of different Creep-feeding protocols on piglet performance and its residual effects during the nursery phase. Experimental design used was five groups: WC (without creep); DCF (dry creep feeding); WCF (wet creep feeding); LD (additional liquid creep with automatic feed dispenser plus DCF); and LLF (additional liquid creep with linear feeder plus DCF). Ten litters per treatment were selected a total 50 sows and 645 piglets. During the first two weeks of lactation, the LD treatment (2.61 and 4.20 kg) promoted greater body weight (P <0.001) than the DCF (2.55 and 3.93 kg), (WFS) (2.43 and 3.69 kg) and LLF (2.50 and 4.00 kg) treatments, but did not differ from the WC treatment (2.68 and 4.09 kg). At weaning, the WC (5.22 kg), LD (5.32 kg) and LLF (5.27 kg) treatments gave higher body weights (P <0.001) when compared to the DCF (4.97 kg) and WCF (4.69 kg) treatments. We concluded that there was no change in the behavior of the piglets, and the use of dry feed with liquid supplements did not improve weight gain. The different creep feeding systems did not influence the weight and performance of the piglets in the nursery phase.

A digestibility trial with 16 to 21-day-old turkeys was conducted to study the effects of feed form and corn particle size on the coefficient of total intestinal tract apparent digestibility of dry matter (DM), nitrogen (N), ether extract (EE), aparent metabolizable energy (AME) and aparent metabolizable energy corrected by nitrogen balance (AMEn). A completely randomized experimental design in a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement - two feed forms (crumble and micropellet) and three average particle sizes of the corn (380, 606, 806 µm) - was applied. Three hundred and sixty 1-d-old B.U.T 9 male turkey poults were distributed into 36 cages, 6 replications of 10 birds, each one per treatment. Overall care of birds complied with welfare directive from the Universidade Federal do Paraná. Feed form did not affect the coefficient of total intestinal tract apparent digestibility of DM, N or crude fat (CF); however, an increase in corn particle size improved the coefficient of total intestinal tract apparent digestibility of DM, N and CF. AME and AMEn were not affected by treatments. Feed form does not affect nutrient digestibility on young turkeys and grinding corn at an average particle size bigger than 380 µm improves nutrient digestibility.

Um experimento foi conduzido no Aviário Experimental do Abatedouro São Salvador, Itaberaí - GO, com o objetivo de se avaliarem os parâmetros de desempenho e qualidade de carcaça de quatro linhagens de frangos de corte. Foram avaliados o desempenho (41, 44 e 48 dias) e o rendimento de carcaça (41 e 44 dias) das linhagens Ross, Cobb, Arbor Acres e Avian Farms. O delineamento experimental adotado foi em blocos ao acaso num esquema fatorial 4x2 (linhagens x sexo) com quatro repetições de 63 aves para cada tratamento. Os resultados desse experimento apontaram desempenho e peso de carcaça superiores dos machos quando comparados às fêmeas, contudo nas características de rendimento de carcaça se mostraram semelhantes. A linhagem Ross teve ganho de peso e peso ao abate superiores às demais linhagens aos 44 dias de idade, mas isto não ocorreu nas demais fases. Não houve diferenças entre as linhagens em termos de rendimento de carcaça ou de cortes.

An experiment was carried out in the Abatedouro São Salvador, Goiás, Brazil, in order to evaluate the performance and carcass characteristics of four different broiler strains. The performance and carcass characteristics of Ross, Cobb, Avian Farms and Arbor Acres chickens were measured until 41, 44 and 48 days of age and the carcass parameters were measured at 41 and 44 days of age. Broilers were allotted in an randomized block design in a 4x2 factorial scheme (strains x sex) with four replicates of 63 birds each. It was observed better productive parameters and heavier body and carcass weight for male broilers than females, although no effect of sex occurred in carcass yield. Ross birds showed heavier body weight and higher cumulative weight gain at 44 days of age, but this was not observed in the other phases tested. There were no differences in commercial parts yield and carcass characteristics between the different strains.