Feeding behavior of feedlot young cattle fed diets with ingredients C3 or C4

• Grant number: 12/16987-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: November 01, 2012
• End date: October 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Animal Nutrition and Feeding
• Principal Investigator: Mário de Beni Arrigoni
• Grantee: Felipe Pelícia Luiz
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The present study has the objective to compare the response of the feed intake, selectivity of ingredients and variations in dry matter intake of steers receiving feed C3 e C4, hypothesis evaluation of diet digestibility, and estimated emission of greenhouse gases. This study will be conducted at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, UNESP - São Paulo State University, Botucatu College, within the feedlot of the Department of Experimental Breeding Animal Nutrition. Will be used 24 male animals don't castrate Angus x Nellore crossbred with an average weight of 220 kg, and from system creates in "creep-feeding.'' The animals are all vaccinated, treated against gastrointestinal parasites, and subjected to an adaptation period of 10 days in order to equalize the population in the rumen and adapt to the same facilities and management. After the adaptation period, the animals are randomly assigned to 2 treatments (with 12 units, each animal was considered a repetition) being constituted C3 treatment of animals which receive diets isotopic signal C3 and C4 which treatment provide the animals receive diets C4 isotopic signal. This diet will be formulated according to the system Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System 5.0.40, Level 2 (CNCPS, 2000), is expected daily weight gain 1.300 to 1.600 kg / day / animal. The animals are fed twice a day (08h, 00min and 15h: 00min) with constant water in automatic water troughs. The diet will be subject to adjustment daily amount, based on the amount left in the troughs before the first meal (8h, 00min). Among the parameters evaluated are handling the intake of animals confined, the productive performance of animals, the feeding behavior of the same assessment, and the selection of ingredients using the Penn State Particle Separator (PSPS). After animals reached body weight above 490 kg and subcutaneous fat of at least 4 mm, will be slaughtered in a commercial slaughterhouse.(AU)