Histology and cecal lesions of Nellore cattle submitted to different adaptation protocols for Intensive Finishing on Pasture (TIP).

• Grant number: 24/21137-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2025
• End date: April 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Animal Nutrition and Feeding
• Principal Investigator: Danilo Domingues Millen
• Grantee: Letícia de Mattos Machado
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Jaboticabal. Jaboticabal , SP, Brazil

Abstract

This project aims to evaluate the histological characteristics and incidence of cecal lesions in Nellore cattle subjected to different adaptation protocols for intensive pasture-finishing diets (TIP). The experiment will be conducted at the Beef Cattle Sector of UNESP, Jaboticabal campus. Twenty-eight Nellore bulls averaging approximately 400 kg will be randomly distributed in 4 paddocks of Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu (n = 7 per paddock). The animals will be fed using a Calan Gates System to control the feed intake and blocked by the paddock and by body weight (BW) if necessary. Each animal will be randomly assigned to receive one of three treatments: T1 - adaptation in 21 days, with an initial offer of concentrate at 0.5% of BW and equal daily increments until reaching 2.0% of BW at the end of the adaptation; T2 - adaptation in 14 days, with initial offer of concentrate at 0.5% of BW and equal daily increments until reaching 2.0% of BW at the end of adaptation and; T3 - adaptation in 14 days, with initial offer of concentrate at 1.0% of BW and equal daily increments until reaching 2.0% of BW at the end of adaptation. Each treatment will have 9 or 10 replicates. The study will last 127 days, with 112 days of experiment and 15 days to adapt the animals to the Calan Gates system. After slaughter, samples of the cecal epithelium will be collected for histological evaluation and epithelial lesion scoring. The data will be analyzed using SAS.