Twenty Dorper × Pelibuey primiparous ewes were used to evaluate effects of seasonal ambient heat stress (i.e., spring vs. summer) on physiological and metabolic responses under production conditions in an arid region. Ten ewes experiencing summer heat stress (i.e., temperature = 34.8 ± 4.6 °C; THI = 81.6 ± 3.2 units) and 10 under spring thermoneutral conditions (temperature = 24.2 ± 5.4 °C; THI = 68.0 ± 4.8 units) were corralled together to measure rectal temperature, respiratory frequency, and skin temperatures at 0600, 1200, 1800, and 2400 h on four occasions over 40 days. Blood metabolite and electrolyte concentrations were also measured at 0600 and 1800 hours. Data were analyzed with a completely randomized design using repeated measurements in time. Rectal and skin temperatures, as well as respiratory frequency, were higher (P < 0.01) in summer than spring at all measured days. Blood serum glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, and chlorine concentrations were lower (P < 0.01) in summer than spring at 0800 and 1800 hours. In contrast, summer heat stress increased (P < 0.01) blood urea and potassium concentrations at 0800 and 1800 hours. Compared with spring thermoneutral conditions, summer heat stress affected the physiological and metabolic status of hair breed ewes in an arid region, which included blood metabolite and electrolyte adjustments to efficiently cope with summer heat stress.

No abstract

Beta-adrenergic agonists (β-AA) have been shown to positively impact finishing performance and some carcass traits of feedlot cattle. Our objective was to evaluate the efficacy of a β-AA on the basis of zilpaterol hydrochloride (Grofactor, Laboratorios Virbac México, Guadalajara, Mexico) on growth and DMI, carcass characteristics, and meat quality of finishing bulls. Forty-five bulls (75% 25% ) initially weighing 448.7 ± 2.58 kg were blocked by BW and randomly assigned to 1 of 3 diets, using pens of 3 animals, in a randomized complete block design: 1) daily feeding without β-AA in the basal diet (Control), 2) daily feeding with 0.15 mg/kg BW of Grofactor added to the basal diet (ZHG), or 3) daily feeding with 0.15 mg/kg BW of Zilmax (MSD Salud Animal México, Mexico City, Mexico) added to the basal diet (ZHZ). The duration of the feeding period was 30 d with a subsequent 4-d withdrawal period. Compared with Control bulls, the group fed ZHG had a 12% better ( < 0.025) G:F ratio, and their final BW ( 0.094) and ADG ( 0.084) tended to be enhanced. Feedlot performance of ZHG and ZHZ bulls was similar, although the DMI was ∼4% lower ( 0.05) in ZHG bulls vs. the ZHZ and Control groups. The HCW ( 0.001) and dressing percentage ( 0.015) were higher by 20 kg and 3%, respectively, in ZHG bulls vs. Control bulls. The KPH fat was lower ( 0.007) in bulls fed ZHG than in nonsupplemented bulls, but other carcass characteristics were not different in the ZHG and ZHZ bulls, and noncarcass components were not affected by ZHG or ZHZ supplementation. At 48 h postmortem, ZHG bulls had lower ( 0.007) water holding capacity and trended toward ( 0.06) increased chroma and reduced pH ( 0.09) compared to Control bulls. However, compared to ZHZ bulls, ZHG bulls had higher ( 0.02) chroma and a trend ( 0.08) toward increased hue angle. At 14 d postmortem, meat quality variables did not differ between the 3 groups of bulls. Supplementation of ZH Grofactor improved feedlot performance and some carcass characteristics of finishing bulls without affecting meat quality. The effects of Grofactor on feedlot performance, carcass traits, and meat quality were similar to those of Zilmax.

No abstract

RESUMEN. El objetivo del estudio fue determinar el efecto del uso de sombra en corderas de pelo bajo condiciones de estrés calórico sobre parámetros bioquímicos y hematológicos. Veinte corderas de pelo de cruza Dorper x Pelibuey fueron asignadas de forma aleatoria a uno de dos tratamientos: 1) corderas en corraletas individuales cubiertas con sombra (CS, n=10); y 2) corderas en corraletas individuales sin acceso a sombra (SS, n=10). Se tomaron muestras de sangre por punción de la vena yugular, la colecta se realizó durante la mañana (6:00 h), cada tercer día durante los 16 d del estudio. Los parámetros hematológicos se determinaron en muestras de sangre fresca, mientras que los metabolitos y electrolitos se determinaron en muestras de suero. Los datos se analizaron con un diseño de bloques al azar. Las corderas CS presentaron menor (p < 0.05) concentración de colesterol y triglicéridos que las corderas SS. Las concentraciones de K y Cl fueron mayores (p < 0.05) para el grupo SS en relación con el grupo CS. Las corderas CS presentaron mayor (p < 0.05) concentración de plaquetocrito, volumen corpuscular medio, hemoglobina corpuscular media y ancho de distribución eritrocitaria, pero menor concentración de hemoglobina en relación a corderas SS. Los resultados muestran que los ovinos de pelo tienen capacidad de adaptación a altas temperaturas, ya que dado el tiempo de exposición al calor, no se observaron cambios importantes en los componentes hematológicos y bioquímicos.

The aim was to evaluate effects of administration of two β-adrenergic agonists (β-AA) on growth performance, carcass characteristics and meat-quality traits of Zebu heifers finished in a feedlot. Fifty-four Zebu heifers weighing 397 ± 29.1 kg were used in a randomised complete block design with three treatments and six blocks (i.e. 18 pens with 3 heifers per pen). Treatments were as follows: (1) control (C; no supplement); (2) zilpaterol hydrochloride (ZH; 60 mg per heifer per day); and (3) ractopamine hydrochloride (RH; 300 mg per heifer per day). The β-AA were added to the diets during the final 33 days of the finishing period, after which the heifers were immediately slaughtered. Relative to C, average daily gain and gain : feed ratio were improved (P < 0.05) in heifers supplemented with ZH, but not in those supplemented with RH. Feed intake in C heifers was lower (P < 0.05) than in ZH heifers, but similar (P > 0.05) to RH heifers. The hot carcass weight showed a trend to be heavier (P = 0.096) in ZH than in C heifers. However, Longissimus dorsi (LM) area was increased (P < 0.05) by ZH (73.94 cm2), but RH (70.45 cm2) and C (66.3 cm2) groups had a similar (P > 0.05) LM area. The meat from the ZH- and RH-supplemented heifers had higher Warner–Bratzler shear-force values (P < 0.01) than that from C heifers (ZH = 5.11; RH = 5.50; C = 4.89 kg/cm2), and the meat from RH-supplemented heifers was classified as ‘tough’. Variables associated with meat colour indicated that ZH led to a lower b* average, which was related to a lighter LM area than in C. In general, feedlot performance was enhanced only by the β-AA ZH, with meat tenderness from RH heifers classified as ‘tough’. Meat colour was not altered by β-AA supplementation. These data suggested that while ZH supplementation to Bos indicus heifers offered advantages in feedlot performance and some carcass traits, RH supplementation did not positively affect these biological responses.

Five crossbred beef steers (initial BW = 338.6 ± 7.8 kg) fitted with ruminal and duodenal cannulas were used in a 5 × 5 Latin square design experiment to evaluate the effects of methionine hydroxy analog (MHA) and/or yellow grease (fat) added to a molasses-urea-based supplement on intake and characteristics of digestion. Steers were fed low-quality hay (long-stem lovegrass : 3.3% CP, 76.8% NDF; DM basis) ad libitum and supplemented with 0.91 kg/d (as fed) of 1 of 4 supplements in a 2 × 2 + 1 factorial arrangement of treatments. Supplemental treatments were 1) control (no supplement, NC); 2) molasses-urea liquid supplement (U); 3) U containing (as-fed basis) 1.65% MHA (UM); 4) U containing (as-fed basis) 12% fat (UF); and 5) U containing (as-fed basis) 1.65% MHA and 12% fat (UMF). Total and forage OM intake (kg/d and as % of BW) increased ( < 0.01) with molasses-urea, decreased ( ≤ 0.04) with MHA, and were not affected ( = 0.61) with fat supplementation. Total tract NDF digestibility increased ( = 0.01) with molasses-urea supplementation, and was less ( = 0.01) for fat than for nonfat supplementation. Total and microbial N flowing to the duodenum increased ( = 0.01) with molasses-urea supplementation. Although, total N flowing to duodenum was not affected ( = 0.27), microbial N decreased ( = 0.01), and nonammonia nonmicrobial N (NANMN) increased ( = 0.01) with fat supplementation. Extent of in situ OM and NDF digestibility at 96 h increased ( = 0.01) with molasses-urea supplementation, but were not affected ( ≥ 0.14) by either MHA or fat supplementation. Duodenal flow of total AA, essential AA, and nonessential AA increased ( ≤ 0.02) with molasses-urea supplementation. Total and nonessential serum AA concentration decreased ( < 0.01) with molasses-urea supplementation. Total ruminal VFA concentration increased ( = 0.01) with molasses-urea supplementation, and was not affected ( ≥ 0.14) by MHA or fat supplementation. Fat can be used in molasses-urea liquid supplements for cattle consuming low-quality forage to increase energy intake without negatively affecting forage intake or characteristics of digestion. However, adding MHA did not further improve the response to urea supplementation of cattle consuming low-quality forage. Conversely, the inclusion of MHA on urea supplement decreased forage intake.

Se estudió la digestibilidad in situ de la matriz fibrosa de rastrojo de maíz tratado con un complejo enzimático, utilizando dos toros suizos (700 kg PV) con cánula ruminal, en un diseño de bloques al azar, donde cada animal constituyó un bloque, y los tratamientos fueron tres niveles de enzimas: 0 g (TC), 1 g (T1) y 2 g (T2) de Fibrozyme® kg forraje-1 MS. Las muestras (5 g de materia seca en bolsas de nailon) se incubaron en el rumen, y se extrajeron a las 6, 12, 24, 48 y 72 horas posfermentación. La degradabilidad se analizó mediante regresión no lineal, con la utilización del modelo P=a+b*(1-e-c*(t-to)). La porción soluble de la matriz fibrosa, determinada por lavado de las bolsas, resultó similar en ambas fracciones de fibra (FDN y FDA), y fue de 0.50, 0.59 y 0.68 % para sus tres tratamientos, respectivamente. Los valores de degradabilidad de la fracción insoluble, pero degradable, fueron: 37.28, 36.64 y 37.30 % para FDN y 33.85, 35.07 y 41.19 % para la FDA, con sus respectivos tratamientos. El T2 (FDN) y el TC (FDA) registraron los mayores valores de velocidad de degradación (c %/h). La fase Lag fue, aproximadamente, de 3.80, 4.90 y 4.80 h para FDN y 5.30, 5.30 y 4.90 h para la FDA, con sus tres respectivos tratamientos. La degradabilidad efectiva (DE) de la FDN osciló entre 19.70-14.40, 21.30-15.90 y 22.10-16.60 % y la de la FDA, entre 20.30-15.30, 21.10-15.80 y 23.40-17.30 %, en cada uno de los tratamientos, al utilizar diferentes constantes de recambio ruminal. El rastrojo de maíz mostró buen potencial de degradación, superior al 39 % en FDN y de 44 % en FDA, cuando fue tratado con los niveles más altos de enzimas fibrolíticas (T2). Los resultados demostraron que puede hacerse un uso óptimo de la matriz fibrosa como fuente energética para el animal cuando se utilizan complejos enzimáticos en esquilmos agrícolas como el rastrojo de maíz mediante su fermentación ruminal.