RESUMO. Este estudo foi realizado para avaliar os efeitos da farinha de casca de pequi (FCP) em dietas para codornas japonesas sobre o desempenho produtivo, a qualidade dos ovos e o custo dos ovos produzidos. Foram distribuídas 160 codornas (Coturnix coturnix japônica) em um delineamento inteiramente casualizado com quatro tratamentos e cinco repetições com oito aves cada. Os tratamentos consistiram de níveis de FCP (0, 1, 2 e 3%) em ração comercial à base de sorgo. Os parâmetros avaliados foram o desempenho produtivo (consumo de ração diário, taxa de postura, peso do ovo, massa de ovo e conversão alimentar), a qualidade do ovo (peso e medidas de gema, albúmen e casca dos ovos, cor da gema e teores de minerais e de cálcio da casca do ovo, peso específico, unidade Haugh e teor de nutrientes dos ovos) e o custo médio da produção. A FCP não afetou (p > 0,05) o desempenho produtivo, a composição nutricional, a qualidade e o custo médio dos ovos, entretanto, a cor da gema aumentou linearmente (p < 0,05) devido ao aumento dos níveis de FCP nas dietas. Concluiu-se que a FCP pode ser incluída nas dietas comerciais para codornas Japonesas até 3% por melhorar a cor da gema.

ABSTRACT. This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of pequi peel flour (PPF) in the diet of laying Japanese quails on their productive performance and on the quality and cost of the eggs produced. A total of 160 quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) were distributed in a completely randomized design with four treatments and five replicates with eight birds each. Treatments consisted of different levels of PPF (0, 1, 2 and 3%) in a commercial diet based on sorghum. Evaluated parameters were productive performance (daily feed intake, laying rate, egg weight, egg mass and feed conversion rate), egg quality (yolk, albumen and eggshell weight and measures, yolk colour, ash and calcium content of eggshell, specific weight, Haugh unit, and nutrient content of the egg) and average cost of the production. PPF did not affect (p > 0.05) productive performance and nutritional composition, quality or average cost of the eggs; however, yolk colour was linearly increased (p < 0.05) with the PPF levels in the diets. It was concluded that PPF might be included in the commercial diets of Japanese quails up to 3% due to the improvement in yolk colour.

Bee pollen (BP) can be a nutritional complement for animals because it improves nutrient use efficiency, increasing their absorption and accelerating animal growth, improving their productive performance. The effect of BP in broiler diet was assessed on digestibility, performance, intestinal mucosa and litter quality. To assess the digestibility, 200 birds were used in a randomized block design with four treatments (0, 0.5, 1 and 1.5% BP inclusion) and five replications. Four hundred (400) birds were used to assess performance, intestinal mucosa morphology and litter quality, in a completely randomized design with the four treatments and five replications. BP had a quadratic effect on apparent digestibility of dry matter and ether extract and a linear effect on calcium retention and on apparent metabolizable energy value. Including BP did not influence (P>0.05) the performance, carcass yield, and viscera or the duodenum and the jejunum at 42 d, the ileum at 21 d and litter quality up to 21 d of age. BP improved the pancreas yield, villus morphology in the duodenum and jejunum at 21 d, and in the ileum at 42 d and ammonia volatilization. As conclusion, BP at 1.5 % improves nutrient digestibility and intestinal morphology but not the productive performance.

El polen de abeja (PA) puede ser un complemento nutricional para los animales, ya que mejora la eficiencia del uso de nutrientes, lo que aumenta su absorción, acelera el crecimiento de los animales y mejora su rendimiento productivo. El efecto del PA en la dieta de pollos de engorda se evaluó sobre la digestibilidad, rendimiento, mucosa intestinal y calidad de la cama. Para evaluar la digestibilidad, se utilizaron 200 aves en un diseño de bloques al azar con cuatro tratamientos (0, 0.5, 1.0 y 1.5 °/o de inclusión de PA) y cinco repeticiones. Cuatrocientas (400) aves se utilizaron para evaluar el desempeño, la morfología de la mucosa intestinal y calidad de la cama, en un diseño completamente al azar con los cuatro tratamientos y cinco repeticiones. El polen tuvo un efecto cuadrático en la digestibilidad aparente de la materia seca y extracto etéreo y un efecto lineal sobre la retención de calcio y en el valor de la energía metabolizable aparente. La inclusión de PA no influyó (P>0.05) en el desempeño, rendimiento de la canal y las vísceras o el duodeno y el yeyuno a los 42 días, el íleon a los 21 días y la calidad de la cama hasta 21 días de edad. El PA mejoró el rendimiento del páncreas, de vellosidades, la morfología en el duodeno y el yeyuno a los 21 días, y en el íleon a los 42 días y la volatilización de amoníaco. Como conclusión, incluyendo 1.5% de polen de abeja mejora la digestibilidad de los nutrientes y la morfología intestinal, pero no el comportamiento productivo.

Os efeitos do pólen apícola (PA) sobre a produtividade de coelhas e láparos e sobre a carcaça e órgãos dos coelhos foram avaliados. Foram utilizadas 20 coelhas Nova Zelândia Branco e seus láparos em delineamento em blocos ao acaso, com quatro tratamentos e cinco blocos, em arranjo fatorial 2 x 2 com dois níveis de suplementação para a coelha e para os láparos após o desmame. A suplementação com PA para as coelhas não influenciou (p > 0,05) a produtividade da coelha e dos láparos durante a lactação, exceto pela taxa de sobrevivência dos láparos (p < 0,003) e a produção total (p < 0,002) e diária (p < 0,001) de leite que aumentou nas coelhas suplementadas. A suplementação para as coelhas e/ou láparos não afetou (p > 0,05) o desempenho dos coelhos do desmame até a idade ao abate, o peso ao abate, características da carcaça, exceto pelos pesos do baço e intestino delgado, maiores em coelhos suplementados. Não foi recomendada a suplementação com PA para coelhas e/ou láparos por não melhorar o desempenho produtivo.

It was evaluated the effects of bee pollen (BP) on the doe and kits productivity and on the carcass and organs of the rabbits. Twenty White New Zealand does and their kits were used in a randomized block design, with four treatments and five blocks, in a factorial arrangement 2 x 2 with two supplementation levels for the doe and for the kits after the weaning. BP supplementation for the does did not influence (p > 0.05) the doe and kit productivity during the lactation, except by the kits survival rate (p < 0.003), the total (p < 0.002) and daily (p < 0.001) milk production that increased in supplemented doe. BP supplementation for the doe and/or kits did not affect (p > 0.05) the rabbit performance from the weaning until the slaughter age, the slaughter weight, carcass characteristics, except by the spleen and small intestine weights, higher in supplemented rabbits. It was not recommended that BP supplementation for does and/or rabbits for not improving the rabbit productive performance.

This experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of feed restriction on internal organs with respect to their weight and size, and the development of the intestinal mucosa of growing rabbits. Sixty 33-day-old New Zealand White rabbits were used in a randomized block with four treatments and five blocks. The treatments consisted of ad libitum feeding; feed restriction from 33 to 40 days of age; feed restriction from 54 to 61 days of age; and feed restriction from 33 to 40 and from 54 to 61 days of age. There was no effect of feed restriction on weight, length and width of internal organs, except for heart weight, which decreased when feeding was restricted from 54-61 days and from 33-40 and 54-61 days of age. There was no effect of feed restriction at the different ages on duodenal morphometry. In jejunum, the villi of rabbits fed ad libitum or restricted from 33 to 40 days were higher, and rabbits restricted from 33-40 days had wider villi and higher absorption surface. In the ileum, only rabbits fed ad libitum had higher villi. Feeding restriction reduced heart weight, but not its size, and negatively affected jejunum morphometry when performed in later stages.

The effects of liquid vinasse (LV) in the diet for growing rabbits on performance, carcass yield and intestinal morphometry were assessed. Eighty New Zealand white rabbits were used in a randomized block design with five treatments (LV inclusion at 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 g/kg diet) and four replications. There was no effect of the treatment on final weight, daily weight gain, mortality rate and carcass yield characteristics. The daily intakes of feed, dry matter, crude protein and energy and feed conversion decreased linearly with increase in LV in the diet. Including LV affected the duodenum crypt depth and the ilium villus perimeter and height linearly and affected the duodenum villus perimeter, height and the absorption surfaces and ilium crypt depth and absorption surface quadratically. There was no effect of including LV on jejunum morphometry. Vinasse can be used to feed growing rabbits at up to 87.8 g per kilogram of diet.

This experiment assessed the effect of feed restriction in rabbits on performance and economic viability of the activity. Sixty New Zealand White rabbits, weaned at 33 days and slaughtered at 81 days of age, were used. The design was of randomized blocks with four treatments and five replications. The treatments were, as follows: 1 - free feeding, 2 - feed restriction from 35 to 40 days of age (50 g/d/rabbit), 3 - feed restriction from 54 to 61 days of age (90 g/d/rabbit) and 4 - feed restriction from 33 to 40 days (50 g/d/rabbit) and from 54 to 61 days of age (90 g/d/rabbit). There was no difference in the performance and carcass parameters, indicating that there was compensatory growth in the rabbits that suffered feed restriction. The best gross margin was obtained with feed restriction from 54 to 61 days age. Feed restriction in growing rabbits can be adopted at different ages because it does not interfere negatively in the performance and carcass parameters. In two periods and from 51 to 61 days, feed restriction was more economically viable for the sale of live and slaughtered rabbits, respectively.