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ABSTRACT:With the demand in the production at large-scale food, confinement of animals has become a necessity of the productive process because of the increase in production capacity and optimization of the spaces reserved for creations. In this context, the aim of this study was the development and validation of models using fuzzy logic for predicting climate indices and productive performance of European quails kept in a climatic chamber. The model developed was analyzed from two points of view; the first one took into account the prediction of climate indexes where the input variables were the temperature (°C) and relative humidity (%) of the air. In the second, related to the prediction of productive performance, the input variables were air temperature (°C) and age of the birds (weeks) while the output variables were the food intake (FI, g), water consumption (WC, g), weight gain (WG, g) and food conversion (FC g g-1) of the birds. The Mamdani method was used for the preparation of the rules, and in the defuzzification was applied the center of gravity method. Based on the results generated by the models and compared with the experimental data it was obtained coefficients of determination (R²) of: 0.9771; 0.9897; 0.9955; 0.9995; 0.9993 and 0.9788, for BGTHI, RTL, WC, FI, WG and FC, respectively.

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For the calculation of silos structures it has been used new methods and computational tools that require mechanical properties knowledge that are still unknown for most storable materials, especially grains. In this context, we aimed to determine the mechanical properties of rice and beans grains with moisture contents of 10, 12, and 14% by applying four compressive loads (5, 10, 15 and 20). The determined mechanical properties were Poisson's ratio (ν), Modulus of Elasticity (E), and the dilatancy angle (ψ). The procedure consisted in the application of the load in compression cell, adapted from MOLENDA & STASIAK, aiming to simulate loading and unloading of silos. We observed that the Poisson's ratio calculated for both loading and unloading, presented higher values than the experimental values, with the increase of their moisture content; the experimental elastic modulus presented higher values than the calculated ones, and both increased their values with the increase of their moisture content; the dilatancy angle decreased with the increase of moisture content and compressive loads.

Infrared thermography (IR) is a non-invasive tool with potential to indicate changes in the animal's thermal conditions in response to the thermally stressful environment. The objective of this study was to evaluate the application of IR to estimate the rectal temperature of crossbred goats of the Boer breed. Six male crossbred goats of the Boer breed were distributed in a completely randomized design and submitted to temperatures of 26, 30 and 34 °C and 68% relative humidity. Rectal temperature (RT) and thermograms data were collected from animals at each air temperature (AT) evaluated. In the thermograms, the temperatures of the ocular globe (PT), head (HT), shoulder (ST), hindquarter (HQ) and maximum infrared (IRMax) temperatures of the animals' surfaces were collected. The correlation of PT, HT, ST, HQ and IRMax data with RT was evaluated through the Pearson coefficient analysis and the concordance using Bland-Altman diagrams. With the exception of the IRMax surface temperature, the others were adequate for the accurate estimation of RT, with PT standing out for presenting the highest correlation coefficient with RT (r = 0.951) and estimation errors varying in the range of ± 0.27 °C.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the productive performance, egg quality and the morphometry of the organs of Japanese quails (Cotournix cotournix japônica) when kept in comfort and under thermal stress. 192 nine-week-old quail were used, distributed in a completely randomized design at two temperatures (T1 = 24 °C and T2 = 32 °C), with 12 replicates of eight birds each, with an experimental period of 63 days, divided into three 21-day periods. Feed intake (g fowl-1 day-1), water consumption (mL fowl-1 day-1), egg production (%), egg weight (g), egg mass (g fowl-1 day-1) and feed conversion (kg kg-1 and kg dozen-1). Laying quails after their production cycle are marketed as beef animals. It is observed that the average final live weight was reduced (P = 0.0362) by 27.58 g in birds kept at a temperature of 32 o C, which can compromise its commercial value. The feed intake of the birds was reduced (P = 0.0051) by 14.75% with an increase in ambient temperature. Birds kept at a temperature of 32 o C for 12 h daily showed a reduction in feed intake, final weight, yolk, and gizzard weight, but without affecting egg production, weight and mass.