Behavioral activities of white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari, Link, 1795) in a semi-intensive farming system in Brazil

ABSTRACT This study aimed to describe the main behaviors of white-lipped peccaries (Tayassu pecari) expressed in a semi-intensive production system in Brazil. The behavioral activities of two groups of peccaries allocated in two paddocks were assessed, totaling 17 adult animals and eventual pups in different developmental stages. The animals were visually observed using the ad libitum sampling and scan sample methods during the adaptation and experimental phases, respectively. The animals were evaluated in the morning, afternoon, and at night. The behavioral activities observed by ad libitum sampling comprised feeding, pool contact, moving, staying inside the handling area, resting, mud bathing, mutual rubbing, rubbing, aggression, sexual behavior, copulation, foraging, breastfeeding, sleeping, territorial marking, interactions, birthing, gnawing, and other behaviors. All behaviors observed by the ad libitum sampling method were confirmed in the experimental period by scan sample, except for territorial marking and birthing. The effects of time of day were statistically significant (p <0.05) for eating, pool contact, movement, staying inside the handling area, resting, mud bathing and sleeping. These results contribute to the understanding of instinctive animal habits and to the development of nutritional, environmental and health management protocols that meet the requirements of peccaries.

Genetic parameters for weight, morphometry and oviposition of Africanized honeybee queens using simulated data

ABSTRACT This study aimed to estimate genetic parameters for simulated data of body weight (BW), abdominal width (AW), abdominal length (AL), and oviposition. Simulation was performed based on real data collected at apiaries in the region of Campo das Vertentes, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Genetic evaluations were performed using single- and two-trait models and (co)variance components were estimated by the restricted maximum likelihood method. The heritability for BW, AW, AL and oviposition were 0.54, 0.47, 0.31 and 0.66, respectively. Positive genetic correlations of high magnitude were obtained between BW and AW (0.80), BW and oviposition (0.69), AW and oviposition (0.82), and AL and oviposition (0.96). The genetic correlations between BW and AL (0.11) and between AW and AL (0.26) were considered moderate and low. In contrast, the phenotypic correlations were positive and high between BW and AW (0.97), BW and AL (0.96), and AW and AL (0.98). Phenotypic correlations of low magnitude and close to zero were obtained for oviposition with AL (0.02), AW (-0.02), and BW (-0.03). New studies involving these characteristics should be conducted on populations with biological data in order to evaluate the impact of selection on traits of economic interest.

Heritability and genotype-environment interactions for growth curve parameters in meat-type quail fed different threonine:lysine ratios from hatching to 21 d of age

The aim of the present study was to estimate heritabilities and evaluate the existence of genotype-environment interactions for growth curve parameters in quail fed diets containing different threonine:lysine ratios. A total of 4,441 body weight information from two genetic quail groups (LF1 and LF2) fed diets containing 0.66%, 0.71%, 0.76%, 0.81%, and 0.86% threonine:lysine ratios from hatching to 21 d of age were evaluated. From 22 to 35 d of age, quail received a single diet. The Gompertz model was used to estimate growth curve parameters. Genetic analyses were performed using random regression models, by Legendre polynomials of the second kind, considering homogeneity of residual variances. The following characteristics were evaluated: asymptotic weight, asymptotic growth rate, and inflection point. Increases in threonine:lysine ratios promoted higher heritability estimates for these variables in the LF1 genetic group compared to LF2, which indicates that the additive genetic variation was modified due to the environmental variation influenced by the evaluated amino acid ratios, with differences between both genetic groups. Thus, it is recommended that quail be selected in the 0.86% ratio in genetic group LF1 and 0.66% in genetic group LF2, where greater heritabilities were observed. Dispersion of individual breeding values along the environmental gradient was observed for all evaluated characteristics, in both genetic groups, suggesting the existence of genotype-environment interactions for these variables. The evaluated amino acid ratios should be considered in quail breeding programs, since breeding value predictions for a determined threonine:lysine ratio are not valid for other ratios.