Feedlot performance, feeding behavior and rumen morphometrics of Nellore cattle submitted to different feeding frequencies

Juliana Da Silva,Ivan Carlos Batista Júnior,Murillo Ceola Stefano Pereira,André Luiz Nagatani Rigueiro,Danilo Domingues Millen,Tássia Veluma Barbosa Carrara,Daniel Hideki Mariano Watanabe,Mário De Beni Arrigoni,Cassiele Aparecida De Oliveira

doi:10.1590/1678-992x-2016-0335

Juliana Da Silva, Ivan Carlos Batista Júnior + Show 7 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-992x-2016-0335

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Abstract

Owing to the lack of information in the literature about the ideal feeding frequency adopted by feedlot systems, this study was designed to evaluate the effect of different feeding frequencies on performance, carcass traits, feeding behavior and rumen morphometrics of Nellore cattle. Forty-eight yearling bulls were housed in individual pens with an average initial body weight of 358.2 kg. The experiment was designed as a completely randomized block and the treatments were the feeding of cattle one, two, three, or four times daily (n = 12 per treatment). Orthogonal contrasts were used to assess linear, quadratic and cubic relationship between feeding frequency and the dependent variable. As feeding frequency increased, final body weight (p = 0.03) and average daily gain (p = 0.01; one: 0.98 kg d–1; two: 0.96 kg d–1; three: 1.18 kg d–1; four: 1.14 kg d–1) increased linearly and the feed:gain ratio decreased (p = 0.02). Also, as feeding frequency increased, hot carcass weight was affected cubically (p = 0.01; one: 246.9 kg; two: 243.0 kg; three: 263.1 kg; four: 258.1 kg). During the adaptation period dry matter intake variation was affected cubically (p ≤ 0.05; one: 16 %; two: 23 %; three: 14 %; four: 16 %). Increases in feeding frequency affected papillae height (p < 0.01) and papillae surface area (p < 0.01) cubically, as well as producing increases in the mitotic index (p = 0.05; one: 9 %; two: 11 %; three: 13 %; four: 13 %) and cells in proliferation (p = 0.05) linearly. Thus, Nellore yearling bulls should be fed three times daily in feedlot operations.

Highlights

Nowadays, increasing demand for high-quality beef has led to the necessity for intensification
Owing to the lack of information in the literature about the ideal feeding frequency adopted by feedlot systems, this study was designed to evaluate the effect of different feeding frequencies on performance, carcass traits, feeding behavior and rumen morphometrics of Nellore cattle
When cattle are fed high-grain diets, a broad range of fermentative processes is initiated in the ruminal environment, and if proper feeding management is not in place, a digestive disturbance known as ruminal acidosis may develop (DiLorenzo et al, 2006)

Summary

Introduction

Nowadays, increasing demand for high-quality beef has led to the necessity for intensification. When cattle are fed high-grain diets, a broad range of fermentative processes is initiated in the ruminal environment, and if proper feeding management is not in place, a digestive disturbance known as ruminal acidosis may develop (DiLorenzo et al, 2006) Based on these facts, Millen et al (2009) reported that there are several nutritional strategies that could be adopted to either avoid or alleviate excessive fermentation of non-fiber carbohydrates in the rumen, such as gradual adaptation to high-grain diets, use of feed additives, larger roughage particles, inclusion of fats in the ration, delivery feed to the bunks at the same time every day, reduction in dry matter intake (DMI) variation, and increases in feeding frequency

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