RESUMO O objetivo foi avaliar o comportamento ingestivo, características de carcaça e a qualidade da carne de novilhas Nelore, alimentadas com torta de girassol em substituição ao farelo de algodão. Foram utilizadas 30 novilhas, com peso médio inicial de 274 kg ± 28 kg e idade média de 24 meses, confinadas por 76 dias. O delineamento foi inteiramente casualizado com cinco tratamentos (0; 150; 300; 450 e 600 g kg-1 MS) e seis repetições por tratamento. Ao completar 24 h após o abate, avaliou-se conformação muscular e grau de acabamento realizada no músculo Longissimus dorsi na 13ª costela. Amostra representativa entre a 10ª e 12ª costelas foi coletada para avaliações dos componentes físicos das carcaças. Assim como as demais variáveis estudadas, o peso de carcaça quente, rendimento de carcaça, comprimento de carcaça e área de olho de lombo não foram influenciados pelos diferentes teores de torta nas rações. Os valores médios de porcentagem de músculo, osso e gordura da carcaça foram de 53,45; 16,14 e 29,46%, respectivamente, semelhantes entre tratamentos. Portanto, a utilização de até 600g kg-1 de torta de girassol em substituição ao farelo de algodão, como principal fonte proteica, não alterou as características de carcaça e a qualidade da carne de novilhas Nelore.

ABSTRACT The aim was to evaluate the feeding behavior, carcass characteristics and meat quality of Nelore heifers fed sunflower pie replacing cottonseed meal. They were used 30 heifers with average initial weight of 274 kg ± 28 kg and average age of 24 months, confined for 76 days. The design was completely randomized with five treatments (0, 150, 300, 450 and 600 g kg-1 DM) and six replicates per treatment. By completing 24 hours after slaughter, it evaluated muscle conformation and degree of finish made the Longissimus dorsi at the 13th rib. A representative sample between the 10th and 12th ribs was collected for evaluation of the physical components of carcasses. As well as the other variables, the hot carcass weight, dressing percentage, carcass length and rib eye area were not influenced by different pie levels in feed. The mean percentage of muscle, bone and fat from the carcass were 53.45; 16.14 and 29.46%, respectively, similar among treatments. Therefore, the use of up to 600 g kg-1 of sunflower pie replacing cottonseed meal as the main protein source, did not affect the carcass characteristics and meat quality of Nelore heifers.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of feeding energy levels during the last third of gestation and lactation on performance of ewes and lambs up to weaning. The experiment was carried out in the sheep raising sector of Universidade Estadual de Londrina (UEL), from August to December of 2007. Thirty-two adult lambs with 105 days of gestation, average live weight of 57.55 kg and average body condition scores of 3.42 were used in the beginning of the experiment. The animals were confined in collective pens, distributed randomly in three treatments: 2.4; 2.2 and 2.0 Mcal of metabolizable energy (ME)/kg of dry matter (DM). Feed supply was ad libitum during the last third of gestation and lactation. Weaning occurred at 70 days. Body weight, body condition score and milk production of ewes and body weight of the lambs were analyzed. There were no significant differences for body weight and body condition of ewes at lambing; however, the level of 2.4 Mcal enabled better results for those characteristics at weaning and higher gain in weight and body condition scoring during the experiment. Severe energetic restriction (2.0 Mcal ME/kg DM) determined lower average daily milk production. Lambs from levels 2.4 and 2.2 presented similar weights in all measurements and were superior to those in level 2.0. Lambs from level 2.4 presented higher average weight gain from birth to weaning. The energetic restriction upon lambs at the end of gestation and during lactation limits the performance of ewes and lambs up to weaning.

Objetivou-se avaliar os efeitos ambientais (idade da mãe ao parto, tipo de nascimento, sexo do cordeiro e ano de nascimento) e os grupos genéticos sobre o peso e medidas morfométricas de cordeiros, ao nascimento e ao desmame; testar regressões para predizer peso por meio das medidas e descrever o tipo de crescimento das medidas. Os filhos de ovelhas mais jovens (dois dentes) apresentaram médias menores para todas as características, exceto altura ao desmame. As médias de peso ao nascimento variaram de 3,34 ± 0,14kg nos filhos de ovelhas de dois dentes a 3,94 ± 0,09kg nos filhos de ovelhas de oito dentes, e as de peso ao desmame variaram de 12,19 ± 0,72kg nos filhos de ovelhas de dois dentes a 14,79 ± 0,62 nos filhos de ovelhas de seis dentes. Os cordeiros nascidos de partos simples apresentaram maiores médias que os gêmeos. As médias de peso ao nascer foram de 3,24 ± 0,11kg a 4,08 ± 0,06kg e para peso ao desmame foram de 11,18 ± 0,59kg a 15,81 ± 0,35kg, as médias menores foram dos cordeiros gêmeos e as maiores dos cordeiros simples. O grupo genético influenciou o peso, o comprimento e a altura ao nascimento, os Santa Inês puros apresentaram médias maiores que os ½ Santa Inês. O ano de nascimento influenciou todas as características. Todas as correlações entre pesos e medidas foram significativas, e assim foi possível prever o peso em função das medidas.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the environmental effects (age of dam, type of birth, sex of the lamb and year of birth) and genetic groups on the weight and morphometric measurements of lamb at birth and at weaning; test regressions for predicting weight of lambs by the measurements and describe the type of growth of the measures. Lambs of young ewes (2 teeth) had lower average for all characteristics except height at weaning. The average birth weight ranged from 3.34 ± 0.14kg in the offspring of two teeth ewes to 3.94 ± 0.09kg in the lambs of eight teeth ewes, and for weaning weight ranged from 12.19 ± 0.72kg in the offspring of two teeth ewes, and 14.79 ± 0.62 in the lambs of six teeth ewes. The single birth lambs had highter averages than the twins. Means for birth weight ranged from 3.24 ± 0.11kg to 4.08 ± 0.06kg and for weaning weight from 11.18 ± 0.59kg to 15.81 ± 0.35kg, the averages were lower for twins and greater for single lambs. The genetic group affected the weight and the length and height at birth, where purebred Santa Inês lambs presented greater averages than ½ Santa Inês lambs. The year of birth influenced all traits. All correlations between weights and measures were significant. It is possible to predict the weight on the basis of measures.

Avaliaram-se as características quantitativas e a composição regional e tecidual de carcaças de cordeiros submetidos a três níveis de energia (2,23; 2,54 ou 2,85 Mcal de energia metabolizável/kg MS) na alimentação e abatidos aos 32,2 ± 3,8 kg de peso corporal e 145,6 ± 20,1 dias de idade. As rações eram isoproteicas (16,70% PB) e foram fornecidas a 18 cordeiros não-castrados, mestiços Texel, confinados em baias individuais em aprisco com piso elevado do solo e ripado. As meias-carcaças esquerdas foram separadas em paleta, perna, lombo, costelas e pescoço e, em cada um desses cortes, foi avaliada a composição tecidual (osso, músculo e gordura). Com exceção da porcentagem de lombo, os níveis de energia apresentaram efeito quadrático sobre os demais cortes. Com o nível intermediário de energia, foram obtidas as maiores porcentagens de paleta e pescoço e os menores valores de perna e costelas. O nível energético da dieta influenciou a distribuição dos cortes na carcaça, mas não afetou sua composição tecidual média. A paleta foi o corte com a maior variação tecidual decorrente dos níveis de energia. Os cortes analisados podem ser usados para estimar a composição tecidual média das carcaças, no entanto, a paleta é o menos indicado.

The objective of this study was to evaluate quantitative characteristics and carcass regional and tissue composition of lambs submitted to different energy levels (2.23, 2.54 and 2.85 Mcal ME/kg DM) in the diet and slaughtered with 32.2 ± 3.8 kg body weight and at average age of 145.6 ± 20.1 days. The diets were isoproteic (16.70% CP) and fed to 18 no castrated crossbred Texel male lambs. The lambs were confined in individual pens, in a slotted floor sheep barn. The half left-side carcasses were splitted into the shoulder, leg, loin, ribs and neck. The tissue composition (bone, muscle and fat) was also evaluated in each cut. Except for loin percentage, energy levels presented a quadratic effect on the other cuts. The percentages of shoulder and neck were greatest at the middle energy level and the percentages of leg and ribs were lowest at this level. The energy level of the diet influenced the distribution of the cuts in the carcass, but it did not affect the average tissue composition of the carcass. The shoulder was the cut with the greatest tissue variation. The different cuts can be used to predict the average tissue composition of the carcass but the shoulder is the least indicated.