ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of Parkia platycephala pod meal (PP) on feeding behavior, rumen health, blood markers, and physiological responses in lactating goats. Eight apparently healthy, adult, multiparous Anglo-Nubian goats, with an average body weight of 42.06±3.5 kg and approximately 52±4 days in lactation, were randomly assigned into two Latin squares (4×4) composed of four levels of PP (0, 33.3, 66.7, and 100% of dry matter) for four periods. Daily feed intake, feeding behavior, rumen health, blood markers (hemogram and biochemical parameters), and physiological responses (rectal temperature, respiratory rate, heart rate, and sweating rate) were assessed. Intake, feeding efficiency, and rumination efficiency were not affected by the replacement of ground corn with PP. At these replacement levels, the goats significantly spent more time feeding and ruminating. There was a significant decrease in the number of chews (number/day and number/min) with an increase in PP inclusion. Rectal temperature, respiratory rate, heart rate, and sweating rate were higher in the afternoon for the three periods measured. There were no negative changes in blood markers or rumen health with the use of PP. The current findings indicate that PP can be used to replace up to 100% of the corn in the diet of lactating goats without causing significant changes in animal health, feeding behavior, or physiological parameters.

RESUMO. Esse estudo foi realizado para avaliar o efeito da suplementação concentrada e das escalas de tempo de avaliação nas respostas fisiológicas e comportamentais de ovelhas prenhes em sistema de pastejo. Foi usando um arranjo fatorial 2 x 2 x 3 (duas raças: Morada e Santa Inês; dois níveis de suplementação concentrada: 0,5 e 1,5% do peso vivo; e três escalas de tempo de time avaliação: 10, 20 e 30 minutos) com seis repetições por tratamento. Os parâmetros fisiológicos foram influenciados tanto pelo período do dia como pela raça, com médias mais elevadas no período da tarde em ovelhas Santa Inês. Além disso, foi encontrada influência da suplementação concentrada entre as raças com superioridade em ovelhas da raça Santa Inês. A atividade de pastejo foi influenciada (p < 0,05) pelas escalas de tempo de avaliação. Intervalo de 10 minutos foi a metodologia mais eficaz para avaliar com maior precisão o comportamento desses animais. Ovelhas Morada Nova apresentaram menos tempo de pastejo (p < 0,05) na escala de 10 minutos em comparação com 20 e 30 minutos, que foram semelhantes (p > 0,05) para essa atividade. Assim, as ovelhas prenhes apresentaram alta capacidade adaptativa com observações de 10 minutos para uma melhor descrição da atividade de pastejo em Morada Nova.

ABSTRACT. This study was realized to evaluate the effect of concentrate supplementation and time scales of evaluation on behavioral and physiological responses of pregnant ewes on grazing system. The experimental design was a randomized 2 x 2 x 3 factorial arrangement (two breeds: Morada and Santa Inês; two concentrate supplementation levels: 0.5 and 1.5% of body weight; and three time scales of evaluation: 10, 20 and 30 minutes) with six replicates per treatment. The physiological parameters were influenced by period of the day and breeds, with higher values in the afternoon to Santa Inês ewes. Also, influence of concentrate supplementation was found between the breeds with greater values in Santa Inês ewes. But, it did not alter the physiological parameters among animals of the same genetic group. The grazing activity was influenced (p < 0.05) by the scales of observation intervals. Interval of 10 minutes was the most effective methodology to assess accurately the behavior of these animals due to higher number of the registries, offering higher data reliability. Morada Nova breed exhibited less time grazing (p < 0.05) on the 10-minute scale compared to 20 and 30 minutes, which were similar (p > 0.05) for such a feature. Thus, the pregnant ewes exhibited high adaptive capability with observations of 10 minutes for better description of grazing activity in Morada Nova.

<title>Resumo</title><p>Objetivou-se avaliar a influência do nível de suplementação com concentrado sobre o perfil hematológico de ovelhas Santa Inês no terço final da gestação e puerpério, assim como dos cordeiros. Utilizaram-se onze ovelhas, aos 75 últimos dias de gestação e nos primeiros 75 dias de lactação e oito cordeiros progênie das ovelhas, distribuídas em delineamento inteiramente casualizado em arranjo de parcelas subdivididas no tempo. As amostras de sangue foram colhidas sempre pela manhã a cada 14 dias. A suplementação não afetou (P>0,05) o eritrograma e o leucograma dos animais e os componentes sanguíneos avaliados encontraram-se dentro do intervalo de referência para a espécie. A categoria animal influenciou (P<0,05) os valores de hemácias, observando-se os maiores valores (11,72 x 10⁶/µL) para os cordeiros. Os cordeiros apresentaram valores inferiores (3073,3/µL) de neutrófilos em comparação com as ovelhas, seja na gestação (4957,6/µL) ou no puerpério (4067,3/µL), que não diferiram entre si (P>0,05). Já na contagem de linfócitos, os valores encontrados nos cordeiros (2858,8/µL) foram semelhantes aos das fêmeas gestantes (2982,0/µL); as fêmeas em lactação (4119,8/µL) apresentaram os maiores valores. A suplementação com concentrado (0,5% do PV) no pré e pós-parto não altera o perfil eritrocitário e leucocitário de ovelhas Santa Inês, sendo as maiores diferenças observadas entre as ovelhas das duas categorias e os cordeiros.</p>

<title>Abstract</title><p>The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of concentrate supplementation level on hematological profile of Santa Ines ewes, at the last third of pregnancy and postpartum, and of their lambs. We used eleven ewes at the last 75 days of pregnancy and the first 75 days of lactation and eight lambs born from these ewes, allotted in a completely randomized design and split-plot arrangement in time. Blood samples were collected every fourteen days. Neither the erythrocyte nor the leukocyte profile was affected by the different levels of supplementation (P>0.05) and the blood components evaluated were within the reference range for adult sheep. The animal category affected (P<0.05) erythrocytes, and the highest values (11.72 x 106/p.l) were observed in lambs. Lambs showed lower values (3073.3/µL) for neutrophils in comparison with ewes, during pregnancy (4957.6/µL) or postpartum (4067.3/µL); these values did not differ (P>0.05). For the lymphocyte count, the values found in lambs (2858.8 /µL) were similar to those in pregnant ewes (2,982.0/µL); lactating ewes (4119.8/µL) showed the highest values. Concentrate supplementation (0.5% BW) at pre and postpartum does not alter the erythrocyte and leukocyte profile of Santa Inês sheep, with the largest differences between the two sheep categories and lambs.</p>

The objective of this study was to determine how concentrate supplementation during late third gestation and lactation affects ewe and offspring performance from birth to weaning. Thirty-six ewes and their offspring (n = 32) were used. Eighteen Morada Nova and 18 Santa Inês ewes were artificially inseminated with semen from Dorper ram and distributed in a completely randomized factorial arrangement (2 × 2) consisting of two supplementation levels (5 and 15 g kg-1 of BW) and two breeds (Morada Nova and Santa Inês) or two crosses (Dorper × Morada Nova and Dorper × Santa Inês). The ewes were weighed, their body condition was evaluated during pregnancy, and the weaning weight of the lambs at up to 70 days old was measured. There was no effect of breed or supplementation on the prolificacy or type of birth. The Santa Inês ewes had a faster rate of development, although the weight loss during lactation was lower in the Morada Nova ewes. The weight development of the Dorper × Santa Inês lambs during the maternal-dependent phase was 34 g/100 g higher than that of the other cross, with no difference in the maternal-independent phase. Dorper × Santa Inês lambs gain more weight during the 70 days of development. However, the Dorper × Morada Nova lambs show a better response in terms of production efficiency when comparing the weight of the lambs with the weight of the sheep.

Objetivou-se avaliar os parâmetros adaptativos e o conforto térmico de ovelhas deslanadas no pósparto submetidas à suplementação concentrada em sistema de pastejo. Foram utilizadas 30 ovelhas pluríparas em lactação, sendo 16 da raça Santa Inês e 14 da raça Morada Nova. Os parâmetros fisiológicos, frequência cardíaca (FC), frequência respiratória (FR) e temperatura retal (TR) foram aferidos nessa ordem com os animais em repouso nos períodos da manhã e da tarde, de 6:00-7:00 e 13:00-14:00, respectivamente, a cada sete dias, totalizando dez coletas. Houve efeito de turno (p < 0,05) para FR e FC dentro de raça. Comportamento semelhante foi observado para FR entre raças, em que as ovelhas Morada Nova apresentaram maior adaptabilidade. Os níveis de suplementação de 0,5 e 1,5% exerceram influência (p < 0,05) sobre a FR com superioridade para as ovelhas que receberam maior nível de suplementação, possivelmente pelo incremento calórico na dieta. No entanto, os parâmetros FC e TR não diferiram dentro de raça em função da suplementação, sendo que entre raças a FC foi superior para ovelhas SI a 0,5%. Conclui-se que a suplementação concentrada exerceu influência sobre frequência respiratória das ovelhas deslanadas no pós-parto, com maior incremento calórico para o nível de 1,5% e superioridade para as ovelhas Santa Inês, indicando maior adaptabilidade das ovelhas Morada Nova quando submetidas à dieta concentrada em sistema de pastejo.

Current analysis evaluated adaptive parameters and thermal comfort of postpartum ewes fed on concentrate supplementation in grazing system. Thirty lactating pluriparous sheep, 16 Santa Inês (SI) and 14 Morada Nova (MN) were used. Physiological parameters such as respiratory rate (RR), heart rate (HR) and rectal temperature (RT) were measured, in that order, with the animals at rest in the morning (6:00-7:00 am) and in the afternoon (1:00-2:00 pm), respectively, every seven days, with 10 samples. A significant effect (p < 0.05) for RR and HR was reported in the strain. Similar behavior was reported for RR between the breeds where MN sheep had high adaptability. Supplementation levels of 0.5 and 1.5% influenced (p < 0.05) RR which was stronger in the sheep that received the highest supplementation level, possibly due to calorie increase in the diet. However, HR and RT parameters did not differ within the breed due to supplementation. HR was higher between the breeds for SI sheep at 0.5%. Results show that concentrated supplementation affected the respiratory rate of ewes in the postpartum period, with higher calorie increment at 1.5% level and superiority for Santa Inês ewes. Greater adaptability of Morada Nova sheep has been indicated when fed on concentrated diet in grazing system.

The objective of the present study was to assess the growth performance and carcass traits of Moxotó goat kids fed different levels concentrate (supplement) (SL) on native pasture under semiarid conditions in Brazil. Thirty-two castrated kids (15.7±0.78 kg initial BW) were allocated randomly to one of the four SL (treatment groups: 0, 5, 10 and 15 g/kg BW). When the animals of treatment group 15 g/kg BW reached 25 kg BW, the animals in the other treatments groups were also slaughtered. Therefore, the animals belonging to the 0, 5, 10 and 15 g/kg of BW were finished with 18.40, 21.04, 22.94 and 25.74 kg of BW, respectively. The concentrate supplementation positively influenced the performance and the carcass traits of animals, providing higher feed intake and thus greater weight gain. The results of cold carcass yields were 405.9, 427.0, 449.1 and 462.9 g/kg of SBW for 0, 5, 10 and 15 g/kg BW, respectively. The weight of the different commercial cuts, (neck, ribs, shoulder, loin and leg) increased linearly as the SL increased; however the yields of the carcass cuts were not influenced, except for the shoulder. Overall, the distribution of non-carcass fat increased as SL increased, with the exception of mesenteric fat yield, which was not influenced. The use of concentrate supplementation to Moxotó goats under grazing conditions on native rangelands of the Brazilian semiarid improves the performance of animals and carcass yield, but does not affect the yields of commercial cuts of Moxotó growing goats.

Objetivou-se com este trabalho avaliar os efeitos de diferentes níveis de energia ofertados no terço final da gestação sobre o comportamento materno-filial de animais da raça Morada Nova. O experimento consistiu de três tratamentos - três grupos de oito matrizes, alimentadas com dietas isoprotéicas contendo diferentes níveis energéticos (2,0; 2,4 e 2,8 Mcal EM/kg MS), com oito repetições cada. Observou-se efeito dos tratamentos sobre as variáveis comportamentais maternas avaliadas (vocalização, ato de cheirar e lamber a cria e a posição da ovelha em - pé ou deitada), nas ovelhas, mas não foi observada diferença para os comportamentos filiais (posição da cria, tempo decorrido do nascimento à primeira vez que ficou de pé, tempo decorrido do nascimento à primeira mamada, tempo total de mamadas) dos cordeiros. A mobilização de reservas ou o carreamento direto de nutrientes da dieta para o crescimento fetal normal, nos grupos alimentos com dietas contendo 2,0 e 2,4 Mcal EM/kg MS, minimizaram os possíveis efeitos sobre o comportamento filial dos cordeiros. Mesmo sob interferência no relacionamento com as crias, ovelhas Morada Nova conseguiram manter as condições dos cordeiros inalteradas em todos os tratamentos.

The present work was carried out with the objective to evaluate the effects of different energy levels offered in the final third of gestation on the ewe-lambs behavior of animals from the Morada Nova breed. The experiment was divided into three treatments - three groups of eight ewes, fed isoprotein diets containing different energy levels (2.0, 2.4, and 2.8 Mcal ME/kg DM), with eight replicates each. There was effect of the treatment on the maternal behavior evaluated variables (vocalization, act of smell and lick the lambs and the position of the ewe - stand up or lying), in the ewes, but no difference was observed for the filial behavior (position of animal, time from the birth to the first time that the animal was up, time from the birth to the first sucking and total time sucking) of the lambs. The mobilization of reserves or the direct carrying of nutrients of the diet for normal fetal growth, in the groups fed with diets containing 2.0 and 2.4 Mcal ME/kg DM, minimized the possible effects on the filial behavior of lambs. The mobilization of reserves or direct carry of nutrients of the diet for normal fetal growth, in the groups fed with diets containing 2.0 and 2.4 Mcal ME/kg DM, minimized the possible effect on the filial behavior of lambs. Despite the interference in their relationship with the kids, ewes Morada Nova attained to keep the conditions of the lambs unchanged in all treatments.