Chemical composition and quality of conservation of corn (Zea mays L.) grain silages with differents levels of soy grains (Glycine max Merril) / <br> Composição química e qualidade de conservação de silagens de grãos de milho (Zea mays L.) com diferentes níveis de grãos de soja (Glycine max Merril)

The characteristics of lamb meat are influenced by a series of factors, among which the testicular hormone production. In order to estimate the influence on meat characteristics, 24 Suffolk, Ile de France, Santa Inês and Texel crossbred lambs male, in a completely casualised delineation, with three treatments and eight repetitions. All animals were managed in the same way, pasture-raised and fed on native grass, in a Voisin system. The experiment treatments were constituted of non-castrated, castrated and cryptorchid animals. Live weight measurements were recorded at birth, once a month to assess body development and before slaughter. The warm carcass weight at slaughter and the 24 hours post-slaughter weight of the carcass cooled in refrigeration chamber at 5ºC were recorded. Also, the weights of the variables related to the carcass were obtained. The results were analyzed using GLM Procedure and the means compared by Tukey’s test at the 5% significance level. No differences in production were found in the components and in the characteristics of the ovine meat and carcass of non-castrated, castrated and cryptorchid lambs raised on pasture land, fed on native grass and slaughtered young. <p><p>O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar os efeitos de diferentes porcentagens de grãos de soja crus, adicionados aos grãos de milho, sobre as características de fermentação e composição química das silagens. Os tratamentos testados foram, silagem de grãos de milho com inclusão de 0, 10, 20, 30, 40% de grãos de soja crus. Foram utilizados silos experimentais com capacidade para aproximadamente 12 kg de silagem, sendo que esses permaneceram vedados por um período de 12 meses, quando foram abertos para amostragens e análises químicas. O delineamento experimental empregado foi inteiramente casualizado, com três repetições por tratamento. A adição de grãos de soja proporcionou aumento nos teores dos nutrientes (MM, PB, EE) das silagens, sem interferir na qualidade de conservação das mesmas.