ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to assess the effects of two levels of soybean hulls (0 and 400.1 g/kg) and whole or ground corn in the diet of newborn crossbred dairy male calves on intake, performance, blood indicators, and feeding cost. Twenty-eight calves with an average weight of 33.0±6.2 kg and four days of age were distributed into four treatment groups in a completely randomized design (n = 7) for 56 days. Weekly samples of feed, diets, and leftovers were collected to determine dry matter and nutrient intakes. To evaluate apparent digestibility, samples were taken using titanium dioxide as a maker. Blood samples were also collected to evaluate blood indicators. The inclusion of soybean hulls resulted in greater neutral detergent fiber intake by the calves, but reduced their non-fibrous carbohydrates intake, which was also reduced by the use of whole corn in the diet. Although the total digestible nutrients content of diets decreased with the use of whole corn and inclusion of soybean hulls, its intake did not vary (0.75 kg/d), regardless of the factors analyzed. The apparent digestibilities of dry matter (0.87 kg/kg) and crude protein (0.89 kg/kg) were similar, resulting in similar performance between the animals, regardless of the factors analyzed. In the quantities evaluated, the use of soybean hulls or whole corn did not affect blood indicators and was insufficient to reduce feed costs; the cost of daily feed was $2.06, while the cost per kilogram of gain was $3.74. The inclusion of up to 400.1 g/kg of soybean hulls or the replacement of ground corn with whole corn does not affect the performance of crossbred dairy calves during the preweaning period, demonstrating that both can be used in animal feed during this phase of production.

ABSTRACT We evaluated the technical feasibility of purified glycerin inclusion in balanced diets of broiler chickens treated from 1 to 42 days of age. A total of 240 broiler chickens were distributed in a completely randomized design into four treatments (0, 2, 4, and 6% purified glycerin inclusion), with six replicates of 10 broilers each. We evaluated productive performance (at 7, 21, and 42 days), edible viscera (heart, liver, and gizzard), carcass yield and cuts, color, chemical and physical composition, as well as protein and fat deposition in the breast muscle. Dietary inclusion of purified glycerin reduced feed conversion and increased feed intake, weight gain, and weight at seven days. From 1 to 21 days, there was a decrease in feed conversion and a linear increase in weight gain, with no effect on feed intake. Considering the total experimental period, increasing glycerin levels increased weight gain and weight at 42 days, with no effects on feed conversion or feed intake. Similarly, there was no effect on carcass and cut yields, liver and gizzard yields, and weight or length of the intestine, while heart yield was decreased. There was a linear increase in crude protein, ether extract, protein, and fat deposition and a reduction in moisture percentages, with no effect on ash content. Purified glycerin levels did not affect a*, b*, L*, pH, temperature, shear force, or weight loss by cooking in breast meat. The dietary inclusion of purified glycerin of up to 6% proved to be technically feasible in the diets of broilers from 1 to 42 days.

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the production performance of feedlot cattle fed diets containing chopped sugarcane ratios (580 or 380 g/kg of diet dry matter) as roughage and levels of inclusion of babassu mesocarp bran (BMB; 420 to 620 g/kg of concentrate dry matter). Twenty-four young Nellore bulls with 321±23 kg initial body weight, at 22 months of age, were used in a completely randomized experimental design with treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement and six replicates. Dry matter intake (21.71 g/kg of body weight), average daily gain (1.46 kg/day), and cold carcass weight (232.59 kg) were not changed by proportion of sugarcane or BMB level. The proportions of sugarcane and BMB levels did not change the apparent digestibility of the diets, except the digestibility of neutral detergent fiber, which was lower in the diet associating the lowest levels of sugarcane and BMB. Increasing proportions of sugarcane reduced subcutaneous fat thickness from 2.89 to 1.91 mm. Carcass commercial primal cuts were not affected by variation factors. Inclusion of babassu mesocarp bran enables the use of larger proportions of sugarcane as a result of the increased digestibility of the fiber fraction of feedlot cattle diets without changing the performance and main carcass traits of these animals.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of grinding corn and inclusion of babassu mesocarp bran (BMB) in the diet of crossbred dairy young bulls finished in feedlot on their carcass and meat characteristics. Twenty-four young bulls were fed four experimental diets containing two BMB inclusion levels (0 and 41.24%) and corn in two forms of processing (ground and whole grains) for 98 days, and then slaughtered in a commercial packing plant. Among the quantitative carcass characteristics, there was interaction only in fat trimmings/whole hot carcass weight and cold carcass yield. The whole hot carcass and hot carcass weights showed reduced means with the use of whole corn. The other quantitative variables were not separately affected by BMB inclusion levels or by the form corn was processed. There was interaction between the factors for pistol cut weight, edible portion and weight of the cuts of the pistol cut, in which the use of whole corn and BMB promoted reduction in the mean values. The use of the whole corn grain reduced the participation of flank cut and elevated the participation of the bone fraction in the carcass. Inclusion of 41.24% of BMB did not change the qualitative meat characteristics, but the use of corn grain resulted in darker meat. The use of whole corn resulted in alteration in the weight of cuts like eye of rump and striploin, which have a high commercial value. There was interaction between factors for the percentages of moisture and minerals of the meat, whereas the crude protein content was affected by the two factors. The use of diets with whole corn or with babassu mesocarp bran may modify the carcass and meat characteristics of finishing crossbred young bulls.