Effects of different feeding frequencies on feedlot performance, carcass traits, feeding behavior, rumen health of feedlot Nellore cattle

• Grant number: 13/04868-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Effective date (Start): June 01, 2013
• Effective date (End): October 31, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Animal Nutrition and Feeding
• Principal Investigator: Mário de Beni Arrigoni
• Grantee: Tassia Veluma Barbosa Carrara
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of different feeding frequencies on feedlot performance, feeding behavior, carcass traits, and rumen health of feedlot Nellore cattle. Forty-eight 22-mo-old yearling Nellore bulls with 370 kg of initial body weight will be used in this experiment. Animals will be allocated in individual pens and randomly assigned to one of four treatments (12 animals/treatment) according to the feeding frequency adopted: 1) feeding 1x daily (08:00), 2) feeding 2x daily (08:00 and 14:00), 3) feeding 3x daily (08:00, 11:00 and 14:00), and 4) feeding 4x daily (08:00, 11:00, 14:00 and 17:00). Animals will be blocked by initial body weight. At the beginning of experimental period and every 28 days, yearling bulls will be weighed. Dry matter intake will be measured every day, and average daily gain and feed efficiency will be calculated. Likewise, the deposition of muscle and fat will be evaluated by ultrasound at the beginning and at the end of the study. Yearling bulls will be slaughtered in a commercial abattoir when an average body weight of 490 kg is reached. Some others response variables also will be evaluated in this project: 1) feeding behavior, 2) carcass traits, 3) macro- and microscopy morphology of rumen epithelium such as number and area of papillae per cm2 and absorptive surface area; 4) histology of rumen epithelium such as height and thickness of papillae, thickness of keratinized layer, and mitotic index, 5) cell proliferation and apoptosis of rumen epithelium by immunohistochemistry assays. The present project is part of current awarded grant by FAPESP (2012/02069-5). (AU)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

CARRARA, Tassia Veluma Barbosa. Effects of feeding frequencies on feedlot performance, carcass traits and ruminal health of feedlot Nellore cattle. 2014. Master's Dissertation - Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp). Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia. Botucatu Botucatu.