Liver abscess and ruminal parameters in Nellore cattle fed with high levels of high moisture corn and low levels of fiber

• Grant number: 11/14401-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): October 01, 2011
• Effective date (End): August 31, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Animal Nutrition and Feeding
• Principal Investigator: Paulo Roberto Leme
• Grantee: Thaila Fernanda de Moura
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos (FZEA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Pirassununga , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The starch is the main source of digestible energy for feedlot cattle. The digestibility of starch is variable depending on the characteristics of the grain. The high moisture corn has a high digestibility, near to steam flacked corn, and provide better use of broken grains, increased productivity by reducing losses at the end of the agronomic cycle, increasing the productivity of off-season to anticipate the release of the area, eliminating the cost drying, among other factors. With the expansion of agriculture, the costs per unit of digestible energy from the grain are lower than other foods, and the use of diets with high starch content should be used. However, the inclusion of high-starch diet may promote metabolic disorders mainly when zebu are subjected to high concentrate diets. Acidosis is associated with a decrease in animal performance and variation in feed consumption causing economic losses. In addition, rumen acidosis is associated with diseases such as ruminite, parakeratosis and liver abscess. Therefore, it becomes important to study the effect of diets containing increasing levels of starch and low fiber for Nellore.