Eighty-six mixed-parity Large White sows were used to determine the effect of diets with reduced CP content or supplemented with essential AA on 28-d lactation performance under humid tropical climatic conditions. This experiment was conducted in Guadeloupe (West French Indies, latitude 16 degrees N, longitude 61 degrees W) between February 2007 and January 2008. Two seasons were distinguished a posteriori from climatic measurement variables continuously recorded in the farrowing room. The average minimum and maximum ambient temperatures and average daily relative humidity for the warm season were 20.5 and 28.2 degrees C, and 93.8%, respectively. The corresponding values for the hot season were 22.7 and 29.4 degrees C, and 93.7%, respectively. The dietary experimental treatments were a normal protein diet (NP), a low protein diet (LP), and a NP diet (NP+) supplemented with essential AA. The NP and LP diets supplied the same levels of standardized digestible Lys (i.e., 0.80 g/MJ of NE), and the NP+ diet supplied 0.95 g/MJ of NE. No interaction between season and diet composition was noted on any response variable evaluated. The ADFI was decreased (P < 0.05) in the hot season (i.e., 3.69 vs. 4.72 kg) and therefore decreased by 500 g per degrees C increase of ambient temperature under high relative humidity conditions. The ADFI tended to be greater with the LP and NP+ diets when compared with the NP treatment (i.e., +10%, P = 0.08). Litter BW gain and mean BW of piglets at weaning were greater (P < 0.05) during the warm season than during the hot season (2.3 vs. 1.8 kg/d and 7.5 vs. 7.1 kg, respectively). Milk production and composition were not affected by dietary treatments but were affected by season (8.1 vs. 6.8 kg/d, for warm and hot seasons, respectively; P < 0.01). The sows fed LP and NP+ diets tended to have decreased backfat thickness losses (3.3 and 3.8 mm, respectively; P > 0.08). In conclusion, the hot season in humid tropical climates, which combines high levels of temperature and humidity, has a pronounced negative impact on performance of lactating sows. Diets with low CP content or supplemented with essential AA can attenuate the effects of hot and humid season by increasing ADFI in lactating sows.

RESUMO -Quatrocentos e cinqüenta pintos de corte machos, Avian Farms, com peso médio de 48±0,3 g, foram utilizados em um experimento conduzido em câmaras climáticas, para avaliar o efeito dos níveis de energia metabolizável (2850, 2925, 3000, 3075 e 3150 kcal de EM/kg), entre 1 e 21 dias de idade, mantidos em ambiente de alta temperatura (34 o C e 60% UR). O delineamento utilizado foi o inteiramente casualizado, com cinco tratamentos, nove repetições e dez aves por unidade experimental. As características estudadas foram desempenho e composição de carcaça, em que a estimativa da exigência de energia metabolizável das aves foi feita por meio de regressão linear ou quadrática, conforme o melhor ajuste. O ganho de peso, o consumo de energia metabolizável e as deposições de proteína e gordura na carcaça aumentaram, enquanto a conversão alimentar dos pintos reduziu de forma linear com os tratamentos. O rendimento de carcaça das aves não foi influenciado pelos níveis de EM da ração. Os níveis de EM da ração modificaram a composição da carcaça e aumentaram o peso de gordura abdominal. Os pintos de corte de 1 a 21 dias de idade, mantidos sob alta temperatura, exigem, no mínimo, relação energia:proteína de 13,6 para melhor desempenho e deposição de proteína na carcaça.Palavras-chave: alta temperatura ambiente, energia metabolizável, pintos de corte Metabolizable Energy Levels for Broiler Chicks from 1 to 21 Days of Age under HighEnvironmental Temperature ABSTRACT -Four hundred and fifty Avian Farms male broilers chicks with 48±0.3g of live weight were used in an experiment carried out at climatic chambers to evaluate the effect of the metabolizable energy levels (2850; 2925; 3000; 3075 and 3150 kcal of ME/kg), from 1 to 21 days, maintained at high environmental temperature (34 o C and 60% RH). A completely randomized design, with five treatments (ME levels), nine replicates and ten birds per experimental unit, was used. Performance and carcass composition were evaluated and the metabolizable energy requirement of the birds were obtained by linear or quadratic regression, according to the best fit. Weight gain, metabolizable energy intake, and protein and fat depositions in the carcass increased while the feed:gain ratio of the chicks linearly decreased with the treatments. The carcass yield of the birds was not influenced by the dietary ME levels. The dietary ME levels affected the carcass composition and increased the abdominal fat weight of the broiler chicks. The broilers chicks from 1 to 21 days of age, kept under high environmental temperature, require at least an energy:protein ratio of 13.6:1 for better performance and protein deposition in carcass. IntroduçãoA necessidade energética constitui-se em um dos aspectos nutricionais mais influenciados pela temperatura ambiente, que, ao se elevar, reduz o consumo energético. No entanto, acima de 27 ou 28 o C, o declínio é maior, uma vez que a ave está submetida ao estresse de calor e, conseqüentemente, à respiração ofegante, que, entre outros fatores, interfere no temp...

This experiment aimed to evaluate the effects of supplying 4 different inclusion levels of Met + Cys to crossbred liquid-fed calves on animal performance and body composition. Thirty-six Holstein-Gyr male calves were separated into 2 age groups: 16 calves, slaughtered at an age of 30 d, representing the physiological phase from 8 to 30 d, and 20 calves, slaughtered at an age of 60 d, representing the physiological phase from 30 to 60 d. At 8 d of age, the animals were randomly distributed among the experimental treatments: 4 Met + Cys inclusion levels (Met + Cys: 8.0, 8.7, 9.4, and 10.2 g/d), provided by an AA supplement added to 1.0 kg (as fed) of commercial milk replacer containing soy protein concentrate and wheat protein isolate reconstituted at 13.8% (dry matter basis). The diet was supplied without allowing leftovers and no starter feed was provided. The experimental diets were supplied without allowing orts, so that the dry matter, crude protein, and ether extract intakes were the same for all animals, independent of Met + Cys level. Total weight gain, average daily gain, gain composition, and body composition were evaluated for both age groups separately. Digestibility of organic matter, crude protein, and ether extract was lower for 8 to 30 d than for 30 to 60 d. The effect of Met + Cys levels on the digestibility of nutrients was not observed; there also was no significant interaction between physiological phase and Met + Cys levels. For the 8 to 30 d group, no responses in performance were observed according to the different Met + Cys levels, which indicates that 8.0 g/d of Met + Cys met the requirements for this physiological phase. The 30 to 60 d group responded positively to higher Met + Cys inclusion in the diet. In conclusion, an optimal Met + Cys dietary level to ensure best performance and protein gain ranges from 8.41 to 9.81 g/d.

RESUMO -Foi realizado um experimento no Departamento de Zootecnia com o objetivo de determinar os melhores valores de balanço eletrolítico (BE) para pintos de corte. Utilizaram-se 2.112 pintinhos da marca comercial Ross, machos, criados em boxes de galpão de alvenaria, cama de maravalha e alimentados com duas rações basais, uma com 20 e outra com 23% de proteína bruta (PB), à base de milho e de farelo de soja, combinadas com níveis de BE de 0, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300 ABSTRACT -An experiment was conducted at the Department of Animal Science of UFV to determine the best electrolyte balance (EB) for broiler chicks performance from one to 21 days of age. One day old chicks, male, Ross were reared in the floor covered with shaving woods and fed two corn-soybean meal based diet with 20 and 23% of crude protein (CP) combined with 0; 50; 100; 150; 200; 250; 300 and 350 mEq/kg of EB. The experiment was analyzed as a completely randomized design in a factorial arrangement of treatments (two CP levels and eight EB) with six replicates of 22 chicks each and 96 experimental units. Weigh gain (WG), feed intake (FI) and feed efficience (FE) were evaluates at 7, 14 and 21 days of age. The best EB estimate at 21 days for the FI were 185 (20% CP) and 194 (23% CP). However, for the WG, the best EB obtained were 166 (20% CP) and 177 (23% CP). Outside these levels of EB, restriction of FC ocurred and probable increase of water consumption. The FE was not significant. Based on the obtained data, EB should be from 166 to 177 mEq/kg for the best performance of chicks. It was also verified that it is possible to decrease the CP level without affecting the performance of the chicks if the rations were adequately supplemented by essential aminoacids in order to supply the nutritional requirement of the chicks. IntroduçãoA manutenção do equilíbrio ácido-básico tem grande importância fisiológica e bioquímica, visto que as atividades das enzimas celulares, as trocas eletrolíticas e a manutenção do estado estrutural das proteínas dos organismos são profundamente influenciadas por pequenas alterações no pH sangüíneo (Macari, 1994).Modificações na concentração do íon hidrogênio, em relação ao valor normal, podem causar acentuadas mudanças na velocidade das reações químicas das células, algumas reduzidas, outras aceleradas. Problemas como a má qualidade da casca do ovo, a

Two experiments were conducted to determine the requirement of available P (aP) of pigs selected for high lean deposition during summer (maximum and minimum temperatures of 29.8 ± 3.6 and 21.3 ± 1.1°C, respectively; Exp. 1) and winter (maximum and minimum temperatures of 24.7 ± 2.1 and 9.1 ± 1.6°C, respectively; Exp. 2). Pigs (66.5 ± 2.8 kg, Exp. 1; and 61.1 ± 0.6 kg, Exp. 2) were randomly allotted to 5 dietary treatments. Exp. 1 had 5 pens/treatment and Exp. 2 had 6 pens/treatment, and all pens had 2 pigs. Treatments were composed of a corn-soybean meal basal diet and 4 diets with additional dicalcium phosphate to obtain 5 aP concentrations (0.122, 0.187, 0.252, 0.317, and 0.382% in Exp. 1, and 0.135, 0.200, 0.265, 0.330, and 0.395% in Exp. 2). Pigs were allowed ad libitum access to their respective diets for 30 d. In Exp. 1, increasing aP improved ADFI and ADG (quadratic, P < 0.05), with maximum responses obtained at 0.226 and 0.256% of aP, respectively. Increasing aP improved (P < 0.05) G:F. A broken-line analysis indicated that G:F was maximized (P < 0.05) at 0.295% of aP or 9.04 g of aP/d. Increasing aP also increased (quadratic, P < 0.05) P and Ca (g/kg) in the metacarpals with maximum responses obtained at 0.314 and 0.272% of aP, respectively. The percentage of ash in the metacarpals continued to increase (linear, P < 0.05) with increasing aP. In Exp. 2, ADG and G:F improved (linear and quadratic, P < 0.05) as aP increased in the diet. A broken-line analysis indicated that G:F was maximized (P < 0.05) at 0.316% of aP or 10.58 g of aP per day. However, increasing aP had no effect on ADFI. Percentages of ash, P, and Ca in the metacarpals increased (linear, P < 0.05) with increasing aP. In conclusion, results of this experiment indicated that finishing pigs (60 to 100 kg) kept in a thermoneutral environment require 0.316% aP in the diet (10.58 g/d) to maximize G:F, but the requirement is only 0.295% aP (9.04 g/d) when pigs are under heat stress.

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• RESUMOUtilizaram-se 48 porcas primíparas, de genética PIC, com média de peso de 185,03±15,78kg, para avaliar diferentes níveis de energia digestível (3.350, 3.500, 3.650 e 3.800kcal/kg) na ração, durante a lactação (19,98±1,04 dias). Utilizou-se o delineamento experimental inteiramente casualizado, com quatro tratamentos e 12 repetições, sendo a porca considerada a unidade experimental. O consumo total de ração não variou entre os animais dos tratamentos, sendo que as porcas consumiram em média 4,0kg de ração por dia. O consumo de energia digestível aumentou de forma linear, de acordo com o nível de energia na ração. Não se observou efeito do nível de energia da ração sobre a mobilização de reserva corporal, as características reprodutivas e o nível de insulina no soro das porcas. Observou-se aumento linear do ganho de peso dos leitões em função do consumo de energia das porcas. Conclui-se que porcas primíparas em lactação exigem 3.800kcal/kg de ração, correspondente a um consumo de 14.307kcal/dia. Palavras-chave: porca, leitão, reprodução, energia, gordura de coco, lactação (3,350; 3,500; 3,650 and 3,800 kcal/kg) ABSTRACT Forty-eight primiparous sows (PIC), weighting in average of 185.03±15.78kg, were used to evaluate different levels of digestible energy