The objective of the experiment was to verify, through ultrasonography, the follicular activity of ostriches in different seasons of the year, correlating them with photoperiod, number of rainy days in each month and egg laying. Eight females were evaluated monthly, during 12 consecutive months in an ostrich farm located in the Center-West of Minas Gerais, Brazil. It was found that the time of the year for egg laying lasts for eight months, from June to January. The egg laying was positively correlated (r = 0.48; P<0.01) with photoperiod. However, there was no correlation between the egg laying and the follicular activity with the amount of rain. Considering the technique adopted, the right antimere offered better ultrasonographic access. The method was efficient for ovary follicular evaluation in the ostrich, offering adequate subsidies for the evaluation of the reproductive activity of the female.

O levantamento foi realizado em duas áreas de várzea, eventualmente inundáveis, localizadas na Fazenda Experimental de Leopoldina, da Empresa de Pesquisa Agropecuária de Minas Gerais. A área 1, de 3 ha, estava ocupada por uma pastagem de capim-angola (Brachiaria mutica), mal manejada e sem controle de plantas daninhas há mais de dez anos. A área 2, de 5 ha, estava ocupada por uma pastagem de capim-setária (Setaria anceps cv. Kazungula), implantada na estação chuvosa do ano anterior, cuja formação ficou prejudicada pelo baixo estabelecimento da forrageira. Para o estudo fitossociológico, utilizou-se o método do quadrado inventário, aplicado por meio de um quadrado de 1,0 m², lançado ao acaso 19 vezes na área 1 e 41 vezes na área 2. As espécies encontradas foram identificadas e cadastradas. Na pastagem de capim-angola foram identificadas 27 espécies, distribuídas em 11 famílias e na pastagem de capim-setária 34 espécies distribuídas em 13 famílias. As famílias mais representativas em número de espécies foram: Poaceae (11), Asteraceae (6), Papilionoideae (5), Malvaceae e Euphorbiaceae (4). As maiores freqüências foram das seguintes espécies: Cynodon dactylon, Sida rhombifolia, Cyperus esculentus, Mimosa pudica, Senna occidentalis, Setaria anceps cv. Kazungula e Paspalum urvillei. Em geral, as duas áreas apresentaram-se infestadas com plantas daninhas, inclusive com plantas tóxicas, espinescentes e de baixa palatabilidade, reduzindo a capacidade de suporte animal dos pastos e impedindo o aproveitamento adequado das áreas pelos bovinos.

An assessment was carried out of two contingently flooded low land areas, located at the Experimental Farm of Leopoldina, owned by Empresa de Pesquisa Agropecuária de Minas Gerais (EPAMIG)-Brazil-MG. Area 1 (3 ha) was cultivated with Angola-grass (Brachiaria mutica) pasture, not well managed and without any weed control for more than 10 years. Area 2 (5 ha) was occupied by Setaria grass (Setaria anceps cv. Kazungula) pasture which had been established in the previous rainy season, with forage being affected by the slow growth of the plants. For the phyto-sociological study, the inventory square method was applied through a square of 1,0 m², randomly placed 19 times in area 1 and 41 times in area 2. The species found were identified and recorded. In the Angola-grass pasture, 27 species were identified, distributed in 11 families; in the Setaria grass pasture, 34 species were identified, distributed in 13 families. The most representative families in number of species were: Poaceae (11); Asteraceae (6); Papilionoideae (5); Malvaceae and Euphorbiaceae (4). The most frequent species were: Cynodon dactylon, Sida rhombifolia, Cyperus esculentus, Mimosa pudica, Senna occidentalis, Setaria anceps cv. Kazungula and Paspalum urvillei. In general, both areas were infested with weeds, including toxic, spinescent and rather unpalatable plants, reducing the animal support capacity of the pastures and preventing adequate utilization of the areas by the cattle.