Dairy cows are increasingly predisposed to diseases in the periparturient time period due in part to immunosuppression. Dystocia amplifies the disease risk due to the increased tissue trauma and stress the animal endures during the lengthened parturition. To decrease the increased inflammatory response seen in dystocic animals and improve their well-being in the postpartum period, we administered either a potent steroid, dexamethasone (DEX), or a saline control (CON) to cows within 12 hours after a dystocic parturition. The inflammatory marker haptoglobin was measured as well as behavioral and production measures. We observed that primiparous DEX cows exhibited a greater haptoglobin concentration on d 3 and d 7 postpartum compared to primiparous CON cows. Behavior was seen to be altered between the treatments, with DEX cows having reduced locomotion and increased lying times in the week following parturition. These measures could indicate pain reduction, suggesting improved comfort. Milk yield was affected, with a reduction of 7.3 kg/d in multiparous DEX cows in comparison to CON cows for almost the entirety of the first month following dexamethasone treatment. No treatment effects were seen for milk production of primiparous cows. Additional research is needed for further investigation of the immunological and production effects of steroids on postpartum dairy cows, especially between parities. / Master of Science in Life Sciences / Dairy cows are most likely to develop metabolic diseases in the weeks leading up and following calving. This risk can be heightened in cows that experience a difficult calving process, most likely due to an increased inflammatory response. A potent steroid, dexamethasone, was assessed after a difficult calving to see if postpartum animal recovery is accelerated through dampening of the inflammatory response. Dairy cows were given either dexamethasone (DEX) or saline control (CON) within 12 hours after a difficult birth to counter the inflammatory response. Our study found that primiparous cows that received dexamethasone, exhibited a greater concentration of the inflammatory marker, haptoglobin, on d 3 and d 7 postpartum than in CON cows. This may be attributed to increased tissue trauma in first time calvings since there was no treatment difference in multiparous cows. Cows that received dexamethasone also had a reduction in locomotion and an increased amount of total lying time in the days following calving. Additionally, multiparous cows that received dexamethasone exhibited a reduction in milk production by 7.3 kg/d for almost the entirety of the first month following treatment. Future research needs to examine the long-term effects of dexamethasone on the mammary gland and the inflammatory response in different parity cows postpartum.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:32:15Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2009-06-29Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:42:44Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 schmidek_a_dr_jabo.pdf: 405278 bytes, checksum: 65a3a0538296f61da573bf91e465868a (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Os objetivos desta pesquisa foram os de ampliar os conhecimentos sobre os efeitos genéticos e não genéticos da mortalidade pré-desmama em bovinos de corte no Brasil, bem como avaliar a possibilidade de incluir características diretas e/ou indicativas na avaliação genética de reprodutores. Foram estudadas bovinos das raças Nelore (dois rebanhos) e Guzerá (um rebanho). Os registros de mortalidade pré-desmama, vigor ao nascimento e falhas na primeira mamada foram analisados utilizando a metodologia de modelos lineares generalizados com o intuito de avaliar efeitos não genéticos, e a metodologia de modelos lineares generalizados mistos foi utilizada para as análises genéticas. Baixo vigor e pesos ao nascer extremos foram os efeitos que mais influenciaram as características estudadas. As estimativas de herdabilidade considerando o bezerro foram entre 0,05 e 0,27 para mortalidade, 0,10 para vigor e nula para falha na primeira mamada. A estimativa de herdabilidade considerando a vaca foi 0,17 para falhas na primeira mamada. A seleção praticada para peso ao sobreano não influenciou a mortalidade pré-desmama. A variação na ocorrência de óbitos durante o período pré-desmama indica que as inspeções aos bezerros devam ser mais frequentes durante a primeira quinzena de vida, embora devam ser realizadas com frequência durante toda a fase pré-desmama. Visando detectar bezerros com maior risco de óbito, é recomendado atentar aos fatores de maior influência para baixo vigor e mortalidade, que corresponderam a bezerros muito leves ou muito pesados, filhos de primíparas ou de vacas velhas, bezerros do sexo masculino. O registro do vigor ao nascimento pode ser adotado como ferramenta para evitar que óbitos ocorram, pois é de baixo custo e apresenta coleta simples e confiável... / The aim of this research was to increase the knowledge about genetic and non genetic effects upon pre-weaning Brazilian beef cattle mortality, as well as to evaluate the possibility of considering direct and/or indicative characteristics in genetic evaluation of sires. Herds of Nelore (2) and Guzerá (1) cattle were studied assessing pre-weaning mortality, calf vigor at birth and neonate behaviour; all records were analyzed using the methodology of generalized linear models regarding non genetic effects, and the methodology of generalized linear mixed models was used for the genetic analysis. Calf birth weight was the main effect influencing calf vigor and mortality, with more problems occurring in calves with extreme weights, especially the very low ones. The estimated direct heritabilities were low to moderate for calf mortality (0.05 to 0.27), low for vigor (0.10) and null for the fails in the first suckling. Maternal heritabilities were low for calf mortality and vigor (0.00 to 0.03) and moderate for the fails in the first suckling (0.17). The selection for yearling weight did not influence pre-weaning mortality. The variation in deaths occurrence during the pre-weaning period indicates that inspections should be more intense during the first fifteen days of life. Considering the calves with high risk of death, it is recommended to pay attention to the factors that induce the low vigor and mortality of calves, eg. very thin and heavy calves, calves born from heifers or old cows, as well as male calves. The register of vigor at birth can be adopted as a tool to prevent that deaths occur, since it is of low cost and presents simple and trustworthy collection for prediction of calves with death risk. Due the importance of the mammary system, affecting the frequency of fails in the first suckling, it is expected... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Resumo: Os objetivos desta pesquisa foram os de ampliar os conhecimentos sobre os efeitos genéticos e não genéticos da mortalidade pré-desmama em bovinos de corte no Brasil, bem como avaliar a possibilidade de incluir características diretas e/ou indicativas na avaliação genética de reprodutores. Foram estudadas bovinos das raças Nelore (dois rebanhos) e Guzerá (um rebanho). Os registros de mortalidade pré-desmama, vigor ao nascimento e falhas na primeira mamada foram analisados utilizando a metodologia de modelos lineares generalizados com o intuito de avaliar efeitos não genéticos, e a metodologia de modelos lineares generalizados mistos foi utilizada para as análises genéticas. Baixo vigor e pesos ao nascer extremos foram os efeitos que mais influenciaram as características estudadas. As estimativas de herdabilidade considerando o bezerro foram entre 0,05 e 0,27 para mortalidade, 0,10 para vigor e nula para falha na primeira mamada. A estimativa de herdabilidade considerando a vaca foi 0,17 para falhas na primeira mamada. A seleção praticada para peso ao sobreano não influenciou a mortalidade pré-desmama. A variação na ocorrência de óbitos durante o período pré-desmama indica que as inspeções aos bezerros devam ser mais frequentes durante a primeira quinzena de vida, embora devam ser realizadas com frequência durante toda a fase pré-desmama. Visando detectar bezerros com maior risco de óbito, é recomendado atentar aos fatores de maior influência para baixo vigor e mortalidade, que corresponderam a bezerros muito leves ou muito pesados, filhos de primíparas ou de vacas velhas, bezerros do sexo masculino. O registro do vigor ao nascimento pode ser adotado como ferramenta para evitar que óbitos ocorram, pois é de baixo custo e apresenta coleta simples e confiável... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The aim of this research was to increase the knowledge about genetic and non genetic effects upon pre-weaning Brazilian beef cattle mortality, as well as to evaluate the possibility of considering direct and/or indicative characteristics in genetic evaluation of sires. Herds of Nelore (2) and Guzerá (1) cattle were studied assessing pre-weaning mortality, calf vigor at birth and neonate behaviour; all records were analyzed using the methodology of generalized linear models regarding non genetic effects, and the methodology of generalized linear mixed models was used for the genetic analysis. Calf birth weight was the main effect influencing calf vigor and mortality, with more problems occurring in calves with extreme weights, especially the very low ones. The estimated direct heritabilities were low to moderate for calf mortality (0.05 to 0.27), low for vigor (0.10) and null for the fails in the first suckling. Maternal heritabilities were low for calf mortality and vigor (0.00 to 0.03) and moderate for the fails in the first suckling (0.17). The selection for yearling weight did not influence pre-weaning mortality. The variation in deaths occurrence during the pre-weaning period indicates that inspections should be more intense during the first fifteen days of life. Considering the calves with high risk of death, it is recommended to pay attention to the factors that induce the low vigor and mortality of calves, eg. very thin and heavy calves, calves born from heifers or old cows, as well as male calves. The register of vigor at birth can be adopted as a tool to prevent that deaths occur, since it is of low cost and presents simple and trustworthy collection for prediction of calves with death risk. Due the importance of the mammary system, affecting the frequency of fails in the first suckling, it is expected... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Orientador: Mateus José Rodrigues Paranhos da Costa / Coorientadora: Maria Eugênia Zerlotti Mercadante / Banca: Joslaine Noeli dos Santos Gonçalves Cyrillo / Banca: Pedro Franklin Barbosa / Banca: Lucia Galvão de Albuquerque / Banca: Henrique Nunes de Oliveira / Doutor

<p>Animal behavior observation is a widely used method of detecting when animals are ill or injured, but there are limitations to using behavioral observations. Behavioral observations can be labor-intensive, subjective and unreliable. The development of technologies such as accelerometers, which record acceleration and activity-based data in 3D space, enables faster, more accurate and quantitative methods of detecting changes in animal behavior. Previous research has demonstrated the utility of using accelerometers to detect changes in animals’ health and well-being. However, limited information is available on the use of accelerometers to detect changes in behavior due to heat stress, which is a major poultry welfare concern, or to detect changes in activity levels of turkeys. The overall objective of this study was to determine whether micro-acceleration data loggers (accelerometers) can be used to detect changes in turkeys’ activity levels and to identify changes in turkey behavior that are indicative of changes in turkey well-being. Two trials were conducted. Specific objectives for Trial 1 were to: 1) determine the effects of accelerometers and habituation to accelerometers on turkey gait and welfare, 2) determine age-related changes in gait and welfare, and 3) evaluate the validity of the accelerometers. Thirty-six male commercial turkeys were randomly assigned to one of five groups: accelerometer and habituation period (AH), accelerometer and no habituation (AN), VetRap bandage (no accelerometer) and habituation (VH), bandage (no accelerometer) and no habituation (VN), and nothing on either leg (C). Welfare was assessed prior to video-recording birds as they walked across a Tekscan® pressure pad at 8, 12 and 16 wk to determine effects of treatment on number of steps, cadence, gait time, gait distance, gait velocity, impulse, gait cycle time, maximum force, peak vertical pressure, single support time, contact time, step length, step time, step velocity, stride length, total double support time, and duty factor. Accelerometer validity and reliability were determined by comparing the number of steps detected with the accelerometer to the number of steps determined from video recordings. Several age-related changes in turkey gait were found regardless of habituation, including a slower cadence at 16 wk, shorter gait distance at 8 wk, and slower gait velocity at 16wk. Habituation to the accelerometer and bandage had limited effects on turkey gait: non-habituated turkeys (VN and AN) spent more time standing on two feet (total double support time) compared to C birds, but did not differ from habituated (VH and AH) birds. Accelerometer validity and reliability were affected by both age and treatment. Validity and reliability were lowest for non-habituated birds (AN). Precision and sensitivity of accelerometers decreased with age but were unaffected by treatment. False discovery rate increased, and accuracy and specificity decreased with age. Results demonstrated that micro-data loggers do not adversely affect turkey welfare, but habituation to wearing accelerometers affects accelerometer reliability and validity. Accelerometer validity and turkey gait are also greatly affected by the age of the turkeys. </p> <p> </p> <p>The second experiment used the validated accelerometers to assess changes in walking activity when turkeys were under an immune challenge or mild heat stress. Another objective of Experiment 2 was to identify changes in welfare and behavior associated with mild heat stress and a mild immune challenge. A total of 92 tom turkeys (trial 1: 51 turkeys; trial 2: 41 turkeys) were assigned to 3 different treatments in a crossover design: control (C; no heat stress or immune challenge), heat stress (HS), and immune challenge (IC). HS treatment was induced by slowly heating rooms to a peak temperature before slowly returning the rooms to normal temperatures. IC treatment was induced by a live-virus hemorrhagic enteritis vaccine which was added to the drinking water. Video (walking, sitting, standing, eating, drinking, preening, feather pecking, aggression and heat-stress related behavior) and accelerometer (steps/hr) data were recorded for 5 days at 10, 12, and 14 wk of age in order to gather behavior and walking activity data pre and post treatment, which occurred on day 3 of the 5 day period. Steps/hr decreased with age, treatments HS and IC had lower step counts compared to control groups, and each day proved to have a different step count regardless of whether a treatment was imposed. On the day of the imposed treatments, steps/hr were lower for both HS and IC turkeys. Welfare analysis indicated that tail and wing feather condition was worse at 14 wk compared to 10 and 12 wk. Behaviorally, the amount of time spent sitting increased as birds aged. Treatment also affected behavior: HS and IC turkeys performed less standing and walking compared to C birds on the day of the imposed treatment. Turkeys under a heat stress treatment performed more aggressive interactions and were observed performing heat-stress related behavior, including panting and sitting with their wings spread apart. </p> <p> </p> <p>Results from both trials indicated that accelerometers can be useful tools to assess walking activity of turkeys and that accelerometers have the potential to detect changes in behavior that may be associated with conditions that negatively impact turkey welfare. The process of wearing an accelerometer on the leg did not adversely affect turkey welfare, but habituation is important to ensure that accelerometers are accurately and reliably recording turkeys’ steps. In addition, it was determined that changes in behavior, such as decreased walking and standing, can be indicative of potential welfare issues, such as heat stress and an immune challenge in turkeys. Further research is needed to explore the best step threshold for particular turkey ages in order to get the most accurate data in future analysis of walking activity. Furthermore, sex differences were not a factor in these studies as only male turkeys were used which may differ from females in terms of gait and behavior under heat stress and an immune challenge. It may also be beneficial to further explore turkey gait as there were discrepancies in the literature and this study concerning age related differences in gait (duty factor). Future research should focus on the early detection potential accelerometers can provide to the turkey industry for welfare concerns. As shown by our results, walking activity decreases under both a mild heat stress and immune challenge, so future studies should now determine if this decrease in activity level is detectable before overt visual behavioral signs. If accelerometers can detect signs of stress more objectively, accurately, and quicker than visual inspection, then both farmers and researchers could benefit from utilizing these devices to improve animal welfare in the future.</p>

Submitted by Jorge Silva (jorgelmsilva@ufrrj.br) on 2018-10-16T18:04:12Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2013 - Julia Dias Villas Boas.pdf: 1436604 bytes, checksum: 75141877c9539bce3fead0d670b18aa7 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-10-16T18:04:12Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2013 - Julia Dias Villas Boas.pdf: 1436604 bytes, checksum: 75141877c9539bce3fead0d670b18aa7 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-01-22 / CAPES / Acupuncture is an ancient technique of Chinese traditional medicine used in the treatment and prevention of diseases, and aims to help the body return to its balance state, by inserting metal needles at specific points in the skin. Under stress conditions, the body acts through the activation and deactivation mechanisms to restore and maintain homeostasis. The repeated exposure or the prolonged and exaggerated reaction to stress are associated with the onset of various diseases. Thus, it is essential to use strategies that can prevent or minimize the deleterious effects of stress. The heart rate variability (HRV) and the increased serum cortisol respectively reflect the activity of the autonomic nervous system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) systems that are activated acutely in stress situations. The present study aimed to standardize an experimental model of acute stress specific to startle horses and evaluate if acupuncture can alter the stress response through the use of stress models (test start and reprise dressage).The present study aimed to evaluate if acupuncture in Dressage horses can alter the stress responses through the use of a laboratory startle test model (sudden umbrella opening) and a test the field: the dressage. In experiment 1, horses previously divided into groups: G1: control, G2: Acupuncture in non-points; G3: Acupuncture points GV1, H7, GV20 and B52 were tested for startle (an abrupt umbrella opening) and analyzed the HRV (through the use of Polar heart rate monitors heart Equine ?), the serum cortisol and the behavior through the reactivity test. In experiment 2, performance in dressage, serum cortisol and HRV were evaluated in horses previously undergone acupuncture points GV1, H7, GV20 and B52. The startle test caused a significant increase of LF/HF that reflects the increased of balance sympathetic in relation to the parasympathetic and a significant behavioral response, without increase cortisol levels. The acupuncture reduced LF/HF ratio at the activation parasympathetic time and cortisol levels 30 minutes after the stress without changing the reactivity response. The treatment in no points had no effect on the studied parameters. The dressage promoted increased levels of cortisol after 30 minutes. Acupuncture significantly reduced the LF/HF ratio, however it had no effect on cortisol levels and the performance evaluated by the judges and riders. The data analysis shows that the models used were effective in the study of stress responses in horses and may be used in further studies to evaluate strategies anti-stress. Furthermore, we conclude that acupuncture can be considered in beneficial in reducing stress levels in athletic horses, mainly due to its potentiating action of the vagal system. / A Acupuntura ? uma t?cnica milenar da Medicina Tradicional Chinesa utilizada no tratamento e preven??es de doen?as, que tem como objetivo auxiliar o corpo retornar ao seu estado de equil?brio, atrav?s da inser??o de agulhas de metal em pontos espec?ficos da pele. Nas condi??es de estresse, o organismo age por meio da ativa??o e desativa??o de mecanismo de controle de v?rias fun??es para recuperar e manter a homeostase. A exposi??o repetida ou a rea??o exagerada e prolongada a situa??es de estresse est?o associadas ao aparecimento de diversas doen?as. Desta forma, ? fundamental o uso de estrat?gias que possam prevenir ou minimizar os efeitos delet?rios do estresse. A variabilidade da frequ?ncia card?aca (VFC) e o aumento do cortisol s?rico s?o medidas que refletem respectivamente a atividade Sistema Nervoso Aut?nomo e do eixo hipot?lamo-hip?fise-adrenal (HHA), que s?o sistemas ativados agudamente em situa??es de estresse. O presente estudo teve como objetivo padronizar um modelo experimental de estresse agudo de sobressalto espec?fico para equinos e avaliar se acupuntura pode alterar as respostas de estresse, atrav?s da utiliza??o de modelos de estresse (teste do sobressalto e reprise de adestramento). No experimento 1, equinos previamente divididos em grupos: G1: Controle, G2: Acupuntura em n?o-pontos; G3: Acupuntura nos pontos VG1, C7, VG20 e B52 foram submetidos ao teste de sobressalto (abertura abrupta de um guarda-chuva) e analisados a VFC (atrav?s do uso do frequencimetro card?aco Polar Equine?), o cortisol s?rico e o comportamento atrav?s do teste de reatividade. No experimento 2, a performance na reprise de adestramento, o cortisol s?rico e a VFC foram avaliadas em cavalos submetidos previamente a acupuntura nos pontos VG1, C7, VG20 e B52. O teste de sobressalto promoveu aumento significativo da raz?o LF/HF medida que reflete aumento do balan?o simp?tico em rela??o ao parassimp?tico e uma significativa resposta comportamental, embora n?o tenha significativamente aumentado os n?veis de cortisol. A acupuntura reduziu a raz?o LF/HF no momento de ativa??o parassimp?tica e os n?veis de cortisol 30 minutos ap?s o estresse sem alterar a resposta de reatividade. O tratamento em n?o pontos n?o apresentou nenhum efeito sobre os par?metros estudados. A reprise de adestramento promoveu aumento dos n?veis de cortisol ap?s 30 minutos. Acupuntura reduziu significativamente a raz?o LF/HF, no entanto, n?o teve efeito sobre os n?veis de cortisol e sobre o desempenho avaliado pelos ju?zes e cavaleiros. A an?lise dos dados demonstram que os modelos utilizados foram eficazes para o estudo das respostas de estresse em equinos e podem ser utilizados em estudos futuros para avaliar estrat?gias anti-estresse. Al?m disso, podemos concluir que a acupuntura pode ser considerada ben?fica na redu??o dos n?veis de estresse em cavalos atletas, devido principalmente sua a??o de potencializador do sistema vagal.

FundaÃÃo de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Cearà / O ensaio foi realizado no Setor de Suinocultura do Centro de CiÃncias AgrÃrias do Departamento de Zootecnia da Universidade Federal do CearÃ, com o objetivo de avaliar o desempenho zootÃcnico, os indicadores do metabolismo do nitrogÃnio, o bem-estar animal e o custo de produÃÃo de leitÃes no prÃodo de creche, submetidos a dietas à base de sorgo-soja enriquecidas com caseÃna + lactose isoladas. O experimento teve a duraÃÃo de 42 dias, sendo dividido em duas fases experimentais, a saber: fase 1(21-42 dias) e fase 2 (42 a 63 dias). Foram utilizados 40 animais de linhagem comercial, desmamados com idade aproximada de 21 dias, apresentando um peso mÃdio de 4,76kg. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi em blocos ao acaso, com 4 tratamentos e 5 repetiÃÃes, apresentando 2 animais por repetiÃÃo. Foi realizado um desdobramento fatorial 2X2, sendo 2 cereais energÃticos (milho e sorgo) e 2 suplementos lÃcteos (leite desnatado em pà e caseÃna + lactose). A comparaÃÃo entre as mÃdias foi realizada pelo teste de Duncan a 5%. As dietas experimentais foram isoenergÃticas, isoprotÃicas e isonutrientes para lisina e met+cis. Na fase 1 foi utilizado 21 % de PB e 3350 kcal de EM &#8260; kg. e na fase 2, 18,5 % de PB e 3250kcal de EM &#8260; kg. As dietas experimentais foram em nÃmero de 4 por fase, da seguinte forma: T1 (milho +LDP), T2 (milho+caseÃna +lactose), T3 (sorgo+LDP) e T4 (sorgo+caseÃna+lactose). Foi concluÃdo que a substituiÃÃo do milho pelo sorgo granÃfero e a inclusÃo da lactose + caseÃna à viÃvel quanto ao desempenho zootÃcnico. A utilizaÃÃo do sorgo e da caseÃna+lactose nas dietas para leitÃes desmamados nÃo ocasionou diferenÃas significativas para os indicadores do metabolismo do nitrogÃnio nas duas fases experimentais. Os tratamentos nÃo influenciaram os indicadores do bem-estar animal. NÃo foram registradas interaÃÃes significativas (P>0,05) entre os alimentos energÃticos e os alimentos lÃcteos, nas fases 1 e 2 do perÃodo de creche, para o desempenho zootÃcnico e para os indicadores do bem-estar animal. A melhor resposta econÃmica para a produÃÃo de leitÃes no perÃodo de creche foi obtida com a dieta contendo sorgo + caseÃna +lactose (T4). / The research was developed in the Division of Swine Pro duction, Department of Animal Science, Agricultural Science Center, Federal Un iversity of CearÃ, with the objective of evaluating the animal performance, the occurrence diarrhea, the nitrogen metabolism indicators, animal well-being, and the production cost of piglets submitted to diets containing sorghum-soybean me al and isolated casein+lactose. The assay had the duration of 42 days and it was divided in two phases: 1 (21-42 days of age) and 2 (42-63 days of age ) during the nursery period. The experiment used a total of 40 piglets of a commercial line, weaned at 21 days of age (average weight of 4,76 kg). The exper iment followed a randomized blocks design, with 4 treatments, 5 repetitio ns and 2 animals per repetition, unfolded in a factorial 2 x 2 design, comp osed by two energetic feeds (corn and sorghum) and two milk products (dried skim milk a nd casein + lactose). Mean values were compared through the Duncan's tests 5 %. The diets were isoenergetics, isoproteics and isonutritives for lysine and methionine + cystine. In phase 1, a level of 21% crude protein (CP) and 3350 kcal ME was used and in phase 2, a level of 18,5 % crude protein (CP) and 32 50 kcal ME was used. The experimental diets were in number of 4 for phase: T 1 (corn+ dried skim milk), T 2 (corn + casein + lactose), T 3 (sorghum + dried skim milk) and T 4 (sorghum + casein + lactose). The use of sorghum and casein + lactose in weaned pig diets did not cause significant differences for nitrogen met abolism indicators, in both phases of assay. The treatments did not influence the w ell-being indicators. Related to animal performance and well-being no signi ficant interactions were registered (P>0,05) among the factors, during phases 1 a nd 2 of the nursery xxi period. The best economical answer for production of pi glets in the nursery period was obtained with the diet containing sorghum + casein + lactose (T4).