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The use of adapted breeds, such as Santa Inês, is of paramount importance for regions with high temperatures because they develop efficient mechanisms for heat dissipation. Furthermore, some breeds have physiological adaptations, such as more efficient mechanisms for the digestion of fibrous foods (e.g. Rabo Largo), which can reduce the harmful effects of semiarid environments. We studied the ingestive behaviour, water consumption, and physiological parameters during feeding of two native sheep breeds fed diets containing high (700 g/kg DM; HC diet) or low (300 g/kg DM; LC diet) percentages of concentrates, based on dry matter (DM). A total of 40 uncastrated male lambs (20 Rabo Largo [breed 1] and 20 Santa Inês [breed 2], with an average body weight of 16.68 ± 2.78 kg, and 19.29 kg ± 3.28 kg, respectively), were distributed in a randomised block design in a two-by-two factorial scheme (breeds × diets) with 10 repetitions. Santa Inês lambs consumed and ruminated DM (P = 0.029 for both) and neutral detergent fibre (NDF; P = 0.001 and P = 0.004, respectively) more efficiently than RaboLargo lambs, while the latter showed an increase in respiratory rate (+19 breaths/min) and rectal temperature (+1.3 °C) compared to the Santa Inês lambs (P = 0.001). The HC diet negatively affected (P < 0.05) the feeding behaviour of the animals, reflecting the higher (P < 0.05) water consumption. The results showed that diets rich in concentrate negatively affected the thermoregulation of lambs. Santa Inês have greater feed and thermoregulatory efficiency than Rabo Largo lambs under conditions of heat stress in the feedlot.

The accumulation of subcutaneous adipose deposits occurs in many genotypes of animals adapted to tropical arid conditions. In sheep, good adaptation of fat-tailed sheep breeds, as Rabo Largo, to arid environmental conditions and food shortages can also undergo digestive and metabolic adaptation, including a greater capacity for digestion of poor roughage. Forty lambs (18±3 kg initial BW) were assigned in a randomized completely block design with a 2x2 factorial arrangement of treatments, with 2 breeds – B (Santa Inês- SI and Rabo Largo-RL) and 2 diets – D (low and high energy), resulting in four treatments: SILE, SIHE, RLLE and RLHE. Lambs (20 SI and 20 RL) were individually penned during 43 d and fed 1 of 2 diets with different concentrate: roughage ratio: low energy-LE (with 70% hay and 10.7% CP, DM basis) and high energy-HE (70% concentrate and 12.7% CP, DM basis). At the end of performance period, the intake was recorded and total feces collected for 5 d. Data were analyzed by ANOVA and when a significant effect (P &lt; 0.05) was found, means were compared using Tukey’s method. The G:F ratio had effect only for D (0.12, 0.22, 0.10 and 0.24 for SILE, SIHE, RLLE and RLHE, respectively). There was observed an effect of D and B (P &lt; 0.05) for all variables related to growth and digestibility, with higher means for SI and HE, except for NDF intake (495, 322, 340 and 268 g/d for SILE, SIHE, RLLE and RLHE, respectively) and NDF digestibility (63, 58, 59 and 45% for SILE, SIHE, RLLE and RLHE). It was observed an interaction D x B on CP intake, NDF intake and NDF digestibility. Breed and diets affected the performance and digestibility of lambs. However, RLLE increased the NDF digestibility, but decreased the ADG, suggesting higher fat depots accumulation.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the ethological and feeding behavior of male goats under the influence of climatic conditions, castration and supplementation with Vitamin E. The responses were analyzed by a behavior test factorial design with 2 x 2 (not spayed or neutered animal, the presence or absence of supplementation with Vitamin E), with 6 replicates. The time of feed intake, rumination, other activities, entertainment, salt intake frequency, water, urination and defecation were evaluated. The factors did not have any effect on the animal’s condition, or the vitamin supplementation (P>0.05) on rumination, other activities, defecation frequency and water consumption. Vitamin E intake had no effect on food and entertainment (P>0.05). There was a significant condition of the animal (P<0.05) on the salt intake and urination, for uncastrated animals without Vitamin E. Periods of the day (P<0.05) affected feed intake in all treatments. There was a significant difference (P<0.05) for rumination time. Vitamin E had little influence on ethological behavior, and castration is directly linked to the behavioral parameters of goats.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the biochemical parameters of goats submitted to castration or not and receiving supplementation with vitamin E or not. A total of 24 goats, uncastrated (12 experimental units) and castrated males (12 experimental units), with average body weight weighing 17.6 kg ± 2.67 kg, were distributed in a completely randomized design in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement, with two animal conditions (castrated and uncastrated male) and vitamin E supplementation (with and without supplementation), with six replications. There was an effect of treatments (P<0.05) over time for all studied variables. There was an effect of vitamin supplementation (P<0.05) for phosphorus, iron, protein, glucose, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALP) and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT). Vitamin supplementation increased glucose, creatinine and GTT levels over time, and reduced levels of phosphorus, iron, protein, albumin, AST and ALP. We conclude that vitamin E influenced the biochemical parameters studied, but castration did not change the biochemical profile of goats, regardless of whether they were supplemented with vitamin E or not.