This study aimed to evaluate the effects of two maturity stages of whole-plant corn at harvest (32.1 or 42.5% dry matter (DM)) and a commercial microbial inoculant composed of L. buchneri and L. plantarum at concentration of 110,000 CFU/g of fresh forage (1.1 x 10(5) CFU/g FF) on fermentation losses, aerobic stability, chemical composition, and digestibility of starch and neutral detergent fiber (NDF). A factorial and randomized design was used (two DM contents, both with or without inoculant), with five replicates per treatment. Dry matter at harvest affected most variables, except lignin, NDF digestibility, ethanol, and lactic and acetic acids. Drier silages differed in total DM losses (-1.7%) and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) population (+1.2 log CFU/g). The use of the inoculant affected the levels of ether extract (+0.27% DM), starch (+2.9% DM), and lignin (-0.17% DM). The LAB (+1.6 log CFU/g) and yeast (-2.82% log CFU/g) populations were also influenced, as well as aerobic stability at six days. The inoculant x DM interaction was observed in the water-soluble carbohydrates content, being higher in silages with 32.1% DM and in those not inoculated for both DM. Crude protein was also higher in these silages, whether inoculated or not. Wetter silages were more prone to gas losses when inoculated (+2.5% DM) and lost more effluent when not inoculated (+4.82 kg/t FF). However, total DM losses during aerobic stability were on average 10.58% DM lower in these silages, with inoculation being preferred (6.72% DM vs 11.60% DM (control)). Under these conditions, harvesting corn for silage at 42.5% DM is indicated to obtain a more energetic silage, as noted both in the increased starch content and the reduced losses associated with fermentation.

The aim of this study was to estimate, using data mining, which microclimate and behavioral variables affect the behavior of animals to seek shaded or sunny areas. The experiment was carried out between January and May 2016 in an integrated crop-livestock-forest system. In this system, we defined two different areas: shaded and sunny. Microclimatic variables (At, BGt, RH, and WS) were measured in each area on 4 consecutive days per month. With these variables, we determined the bioclimatic indicators (THI, BGHI, HLI, MRT, RTL, and ETI). In addition, we calculated the absolute difference (Δ) by subtracting the value recorded in shaded areas from the value recorded in sunny areas for all microclimatic variables and bioclimatic indicators, except for WS. The behaviors (grazing, ruminating, and other activities), posture (standing or lying), and use of areas (shaded or sunny) of 38 Zebu cattle were recorded on 2 consecutive days per month. The data mining technique was applied for analysis in a classification task. The model correctly classified 76% of the instances with a Kappa statistic of 0.51 after features selection from the database. The ΔBGt was the most important feature in the model to classify the decision of Zebu cattle to seek another area or remain in a determined area. The model was built with seven classification rules, being one simple rule, composed of the interaction between ΔBGt and rumination; and other more complex rules, composed of the interactions among the ΔBGt, WS, and rumination. The preference of Zebu cattle to seek or remain in shaded or sunny areas was influenced by eight features: rumination, drinking water, WS, ΔBGt, MRT in shade, BGHI in sun, ΔBGHI, and HLI in sun.

The bioacoustic method is an important tool for the identification of the ingestive behavior of ruminants, especially in extensive production systems. This is mainly due to its potential to solve the deficiencies presented by the usual method, which is based on the visual observation of the animals. In this article, we present a study whose main objective is to evaluate the accuracy of the bioacoustic method over the visual method to record the macroactivity of grazing cattle ingestive behavior. The comparison of the methods is made in terms of a multivariate statistical approach based on the use of Hotelling’s T2 test. To verify the test performance in comparing the methods, we developed a simulation study using a resampling approach. The results show that the bioacoustic method can be an effective alternative to the visual method, with the advantage of being a noninvasive method that also allows the analysis of the micro events of ingestive behavior.

The ensilage of total mixed ration (TMR) is a technology designed to help farmers with limitations to provide a balanced diet for their herds. Our aim was to evaluate the conservation of TMR ensiled in round bales with or without holes in the wrapping plastic film. Eight round bales of a corn silage-based TMR of 1,000 kg (370 kg DM/m(3)) were prepared. Ten days (d) after ensiling, four bales were randomly punctured with two holes of 25 cm(2) each in opposite sides of the bale. The temperature in the center of the bales was recorded during the storage using dataloggers. After 60 d of storage, bales were weighted to assess dry matter (DM) recovery. Silages were sampled for measuring DM content, chemical composition, pH, lactic acid, and microbial counts. The temperature of the sliced bale face was assessed by infrared thermography. The holes in the plastic affected the DM content, DM recovery, and pH, whereas lactic acid, microbial counts, and temperature were not affected by treatments. The holes in the sealing plastic film should be avoided. However, holes of 25 cm(2) each were not capable of causing expressive losses in TMR silage stored in 1,000 kg bales.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of Lactobacillus inoculants on fermentation, losses, and aerobic stability of a total mixed ration (TMR) silage. A TMR, formulated to meet the requirements of dairy cows producing 25 kg of milk/d, was applied with the following treatments prior to ensiling: 1) Control (CON), 2) Lactobacillus buchneri (105 cfu/g of fresh forage; LB), and 3) Lactobacillus plantarum (105 cfu/g of fresh forage; LP). TMR silages were ensiled for 15 and 60 d in silos equipped with an apparatus for determination of gravimetric DM, gas, and effluent losses. The experiment was performed in a complete randomized design with a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement of the treatments, with 5 replicates per treatment. Chemical changes, microbial counts, fermentation profile, and aerobic stability were measured after opening the silos. Data were submitted to ANOVA, and means were compared by Tukey and T-test and statistical significance was declared at P ≤ 0.05. After 15 d of ensiling, the inclusion of inoculant decreased NDF (P < 0.05) and butyric acid concentrations (P < 0.05) in TMR. LP had the lowest aerobic stability (P < 0.05) and the greatest loss of DM (P < 0.03). Ensiling for 60 d increased ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N), lactic acid bacteria (LAB), aerobic stability, and concentrations of lactic and acetic acid (P < 0.01) and lowered (P < 0.02) total fermentation losses compared to 15 d across all treatments. After 60 d of ensiling, LP lowered pH to the greatest extent. Treatment had no effect on concentrations of DM, CP, ADF, ash, and EE, as well as in vitro DM digestibility. In conclusion, inoculants containing LP or LB did not improve fermentation profile, did not prolong the aerobic stability, nor reduced losses. Furthermore, the 15-d ensiling period was insufficient for adequate bacterial activity.

A pecuaria brasileira se caracteriza pela criacao de bovinos a pasto, seja de forma extensiva (tradicional) quanto intensiva (integracao lavoura-pecuaria-floresta). Bovinos nesses sistemas externam a qualidade do ambiente no qual estao inseridos por meio do de manifestacoes comportamentais de varios tipos. Neste contexto, o comportamento ingestivo, isto e, o conjunto de atividades ligadas a busca, apreensao e digestao da forragem, que o animal realiza durante sua jornada, e um indicador tanto de aspectos quantiqualitativos do alimento disponivel, quanto do ambiente fisico onde esta inserido. A observacao visual, metodologia mais utilizada para esse fim por ser de baixo custo, e de baixa acuracia e muito trabalhosa, e seu uso ja comeca a ser questionado no meio academico, embora as alternativas existentes ainda sejam praticamente inviaveis do ponto de vista tecnico-financeiro para uso em grandes extensoes. Este documento busca trazer a tona o potencial de uso da bioacustica para avaliacao do comportamento ingestivo de bovinos, com enfase na possibilidade de sua aplicacao, inclusive, em animais mantidos em ambientes abertos, de grande extensao, tipicos dos sistemas de producao de bovinos de corte em pastagens tropicias. Sao abordados, assim, aspectos da origem e fundamentacao da tecnica, suas aplicacoes, os pre-requisitos tecnicos para aquisicao, armazenamento e analise dos arquivos sonoros, avancos na sua utilizacao em animais de producao e os principais desafios que ainda persistem, dentre outros itens.

Among the many benefits of the integrated crop-livestock-forest systems (ILPF), particular attention must be drive to the more comfortable environmental due to the presence of the trees in the system and consequent shading in the understory. In bovines, thermal stress causes from physiological changes to behavioral patterns changes. Thus, assessment of changes in feeding behavior associate with microclimatic indices can be used to infer the state of thermal stress of animals. This study aimed to evaluate the thermal comfort and diurnal feeding behavior of Nelore heifers kept in two environments with different tree species and arrangements. The treatments are: (i) ILPF-1 with Eucalyptus urograndis arranged 22 m x 2 m (227 trees ha) integrated with Brachiaria brizantha cv. BRS Piatã, and, (ii) ILPF-2 with Gochnatia polymorpha and Dypterix alata (5 trees scattered ha) integrated with Brachiaria brizantha cv. BRS Piatã. The experimental period was from January to March 2016, with assessments on two consecutive days each month, from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm. It was held instant visual observation of behavioral activities (grazing, rumination and other activities), and the location (sun or shade), at 10 minute intervals. The climatic data (temperature, humidity and solar radiation) were collected every hour. There was 74.62% interception of solar radiation in ILPF-1 and 71.02% in ILPF-2, resulting in milder temperatures in the shade. This reflected in more comfortable microclimatic in both systems, as indicated by the Globe and Humidity Temperature Index (ITGU): 82 in the shade and 87 in the sun, in ILPF-1, and 83 in the shade and 87 in the sun, in ILPF-2. The presence of trees in the system changed the thermal condition from "emergency" (in the sun) to dangerous (in the shade), according to the classification of the National Weather Service (1976). Among all activities observed, the animals in ILPF-1 system spent more time grazing (37% of the time in the sun and 32% in the shade). In ILPF-2, the time grazing was lower, with predominance of activity in the sun (52%) compared to the shade (3%), probably due to the restricted shade available in this system. The presence of shadow in livestock systems improves the microclimate. However, this can not be considered the only factor that influences the animal behavior. Other parameters directly related to the shading use behavior as availability and quality of forage, shaded area and animal performance must be considered, especially in integrated system.

A observacao visual do comportamento ingestivo em ruminantes, principalmente naqueles mantidos em pastagens, apesar de comumente utilizada com diferentes finalidades de estudo, e trabalhosa, pouca precisa e empenha grande quantidade de mao-de-obra. Com o avanco da tecnologia em geral, outras metodologias, que fazem uso de sensores mecânicos, opticos e sonoros, mostram grande potencial de uso em ruminantes. A bioacustica, em particular, adequa-se em experimentos que necessitam tanto de macro quanto de microatividades, otimizando mao-de-obra e com custo relativamente baixo em comparacao a outras metodologias automatizadas. Entretanto, por ser um campo de estudo recente na producao animal, as operacoes de captura e analise dos sons ainda precisam ser refinadas. Dado o exposto, objetivou-se avaliar a acuracia do metodo acustico, em relacao ao metodo visual, para a quantificacao de macroeventos do comportamento ingestivo de bovinos a pasto. Para isso, foram realizados testes-piloto visando superar questoes importantes para a utilizacao da mesma em animais em capo, como a identificacao do melhor local para fixacao do microfone e o modo de gravacao de maior qualidade, entre outros. Alcancadas as configuracoes ideais, realizou-se observacao visual individual instantânea das atividades comportamentais (pastejo, ruminacao e outras atividades) de doze femeas Nelore em intervalos de dez minutos, por dois dias consecutivos. Apos analise estatistica, verificou-se que nao ha diferenca estatistica entre os metodos visual e acustico para determinacao das atividades de pastejo, ruminacao e outras atividades. Assim, a bioacustica pode ser utilizada para identificar as atividades de comportamento ingestivo de bovinos a pasto com precisao semelhante ao metodo visual, com ganhos adicionais em relacao ao metodo de observacao visual.