Sleep studies and the association of sleep quality with productive, ruminal, and metabolic efficiency of beef cattle

• Grant number: 24/14300-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: October 01, 2024
• End date: September 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Animal Nutrition and Feeding
• Principal Investigator: Danilo Domingues Millen
• Grantee: Daniel Hideki Mariano Watanabe
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Jaboticabal. Jaboticabal , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 22/16247-4 - Sleep studies and the association of sleep quality with productive, ruminal and metabolic efficiency of beef cattle, AP.TEM

Abstract

Like humans, cattle also require a minimum amount of restorative sleep for their metabolic functions to be properly regulated, resulting in improved performance and in a reduced risk of inflammation. The stages of sleep are basically divided into 1) REM (rapid eye movement), 2) non-REM (also known as deep sleep), and 3) light sleep. It is during the REM and non-REM sleep stages that hormone depletion occurs, as well as muscle and neurological recovery. However, little is known about the relationship between sleep quality and beef cattle productivity and welfare, and the few studies available in the literature focused on the sleep physiology of dairy cows. Therefore, we propose in this project an evaluation of a methodology to measure sleep, as well as to develop a noninvasive device that can measure sleep stages in beef cattle. In this regard, five studies will be carried out: 1) The objective is to determine the effect of 24 h of sleep deprivation, as well as of different levels of energy, on metabolic, inflammatory responses, and ruminal microbiome and metabolism. As a secondary objective, we aim to validate that the accelerometer will be as good as polysomnography to accurately predict the sleep stages of beef cattle; 2) The objective will be to evaluate the effects of seasons of the year and environment on sleep dynamics and metabolism of beef cattle and later associate it with ruminal parameters, and blood metabolites; 3) The objective will be to evaluate the sleep quality measured in beef cattle and associate it with animal performance, carcass characteristics, feeding behavior, ruminal and cecum morphometrics; 4) The objective is to evaluate the relationship between the sleep quality of cattle listening to music, as well as its effects on ruminal and metabolic parameters.; and 5) The objective of the study will be to evaluate the relationship between sleep quality and ruminal methane emissions, animal performance, carcass traits, feeding behavior, rumen, and cecum morphometrics of Nellore cattle. Our hypothesis is that cattle presenting improved sleep quality are more efficient in terms of productivity, which can improve animal health and welfare. Identifying the most productive and efficient animals based on sleep quality may generate significant gains in performance and beef production and reduce environmental impacts. (AU)