ABSTRACT: This study aimed to identify a typology of corporate and family dairy farms in eastern Goiás, Brazil. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered to 170 farm operators in the municipalities of Cristalina, Luziânia, and Silvânia. Dairy farms were categorized into two groups, corporate and family farms. Data were analyzed by exploratory factor analysis using principal component analysis extraction. Four factors were identified: Milking management (F1), Production scale (F2), Productivity (F3), and Sociodemographic characteristics (F4). Corporate and family farms were then compared in terms of factor scores. Corporate farms scored higher on F1 and F2 and were characterized by larger production scale, greater adoption of milking management and hygiene practices; and consequently, greater alignment with institutional and market demands. These results indicated that corporate dairy farms in eastern Goiás have higher sustainability and are more likely to remain in business than family dairy farms.

ABSTRACT: This study aimed to identify a typology of corporate and family dairy farms in eastern Goiás, Brazil. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered to 170 farm operators in the municipalities of Cristalina, Luziânia, and Silvânia. Dairy farms were categorized into two groups, corporate and family farms. Data were analyzed by exploratory factor analysis using principal component analysis extraction. Four factors were identified: Milking management (F1), Production scale (F2), Productivity (F3), and Sociodemographic characteristics (F4). Corporate and family farms were then compared in terms of factor scores. Corporate farms scored higher on F1 and F2 and were characterized by larger production scale, greater adoption of milking management and hygiene practices; and consequently, greater alignment with institutional and market demands. These results indicated that corporate dairy farms in eastern Goiás have higher sustainability and are more likely to remain in business than family dairy farms.

Abstract: The objective of this work was to evaluate the partial replacement of corn grains by soybean hulls, in high-grain diets, and its effect on the feeding behavior and ruminal fermentation parameters of feedlot sheep. Eight rumen-cannulated crossbred sheep were assigned to four treatment groups composed of a control, to fed a diet of 50% corn silage and 50% concentrate, and to three groups fed high-grain diets, as follows: 85% corn (Diet85), 75% corn plus 10% soybean hulls (Diet75), and 65% corn plus 20% soybean hulls (Diet65). High-grain diets reduced rumination time and provided a higher degradation of feed dry matter, a higher-propionic acid concentration, a lower-acetic acid concentration, a lower methane and carbon dioxide gas production, and a lower ruminal pH value. Diet65, with 20% soybean hulls, promoted an increase in the acetic acid proportion, with a reduction in the CO2:CH4 ratio. At the end of in vitro incubation, the pH value was higher for the control diet, and it was lower for Diet85. The inclusion of soybean hulls does not change methane production and dry matter degradation, and it can be used to substitute up to 20% of corn grain in high-grain diets.

Abstract: The objective of this work was to evaluate the partial replacement of corn grains by soybean hulls, in high-grain diets, and its effect on the feeding behavior and ruminal fermentation parameters of feedlot sheep. Eight rumen-cannulated crossbred sheep were assigned to four treatment groups composed of a control, to fed a diet of 50% corn silage and 50% concentrate, and to three groups fed high-grain diets, as follows: 85% corn (Diet85), 75% corn plus 10% soybean hulls (Diet75), and 65% corn plus 20% soybean hulls (Diet65). High-grain diets reduced rumination time and provided a higher degradation of feed dry matter, a higher-propionic acid concentration, a lower-acetic acid concentration, a lower methane and carbon dioxide gas production, and a lower ruminal pH value. Diet65, with 20% soybean hulls, promoted an increase in the acetic acid proportion, with a reduction in the CO2:CH4 ratio. At the end of in vitro incubation, the pH value was higher for the control diet, and it was lower for Diet85. The inclusion of soybean hulls does not change methane production and dry matter degradation, and it can be used to substitute up to 20% of corn grain in high-grain diets.

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of adding crude glycerin with food additives (sodium monensin or essential oils) to the diets of beef cattle on feed intake, ruminal parameters, in vitro digestibility, and production of greenhouse gases. Five ruminally cannulated Nellore steers were randomly assigned in a 5×5 Latin square design. The treatments were: control, without crude glycerin and additives; with essential oils and without crude glycerin; with sodium monensin and without crude glycerin; with essential oils and crude glycerin; and with sodium monensin and crude glycerin. The addition of crude glycerin caused a reduction in dry matter (DM) intake, increase in vitro dry matter digestibility, and decrease in vitro crude protein digestibility, regardless of the food additive. All treatments were effective in maintaining the rumen environment with pH values above 6.2 and ammonia nitrogen concentrations above 10 mg dL−1. No difference was observed in the production and quality of protozoal and bacterial fractions. The addition of crude glycerin at 200 g kg−1 DM in the total diet can partially replace corn grain and soybean hulls and be combined with either sodium monensin or essential oil without impairing the rumen fermentation, being effective in reducing gas methane production and, when combined with sodium monensin, enables more efficient utilization of the diet by the animal. Therefore, feedlot experiments at large scales of production should be evaluated to prove these positive results.

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of adding crude glycerin with food additives (sodium monensin or essential oils) to the diets of beef cattle on feed intake, ruminal parameters, in vitro digestibility, and production of greenhouse gases. Five ruminally cannulated Nellore steers were randomly assigned in a 5×5 Latin square design. The treatments were: control, without crude glycerin and additives; with essential oils and without crude glycerin; with sodium monensin and without crude glycerin; with essential oils and crude glycerin; and with sodium monensin and crude glycerin. The addition of crude glycerin caused a reduction in dry matter (DM) intake, increase in vitro dry matter digestibility, and decrease in vitro crude protein digestibility, regardless of the food additive. All treatments were effective in maintaining the rumen environment with pH values above 6.2 and ammonia nitrogen concentrations above 10 mg dL−1. No difference was observed in the production and quality of protozoal and bacterial fractions. The addition of crude glycerin at 200 g kg−1 DM in the total diet can partially replace corn grain and soybean hulls and be combined with either sodium monensin or essential oil without impairing the rumen fermentation, being effective in reducing gas methane production and, when combined with sodium monensin, enables more efficient utilization of the diet by the animal. Therefore, feedlot experiments at large scales of production should be evaluated to prove these positive results.