Ingestive behavior of lambs fed relocated and inoculated whole-plant corn silage

Marcus Vinicius Santa Brígida Cardoso,Cláudia Márcia Serra Ferreira,Aníbal Coutinho Do Rêgo,Rita De Cássia Almeida De Mendonça,Felipe Nogueira Domingues,Amanda Caroliny Marques Queiroz,Cristian Faturi,Rosana Ingrid Ribeiro Dos Santos

doi:10.4025/actascianimsci.v44i1.53714

Marcus Vinicius Santa Brígida Cardoso, Cláudia Márcia Serra Ferreira + Show 6 more

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https://doi.org/10.4025/actascianimsci.v44i1.53714

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Abstract

We aimed to determine the effect of relocation of whole-plant corn silage (WPCS) with different fermentation profiles on ingestive behavior of lambs. Twenty-four male Santa Inês lambs, were used in a completely randomized block design based on initial body weight (17.5 ± 1.8 kg) for the following treatments: CS: WPCS (not inoculated and not relocated); R-12h: WPCS relocated for 12h; IR-12h: WPCS inoculated with Lactobacillus plantarum and relocated for 12h; and R-24h: WPCS not inoculated and relocated for 24h. Ingestive behavior was observed as continuous (feeding, ruminating, and idling) and specific (urination, defecation, and water and salt access frequency) activities for 48h (3h intervals for a total of eight periods in 24h). The behavioral activities were affected only by periods (p = 0.0001). Feeding peaks was high at 8:00–11:00am (54.2%) and 5:00-8:00pm (54.9%) in compare to ruminating and idling at the same period. Rumination time was intense at night, at 63.7% (2:00–5:00am) and 69.7% (5:00–8:00am). Idling time (49.7%) was long after silage supply. The specific activities were intense during the morning periods. Supply of WPCS relocated up to 24h did not alter the ingestive behavior.

Highlights

Conserved feeds, in particular silage crops such as corn, is commonly used as feedstuff in animal production (Bernardes & Rêgo, 2014)
1DM - dry matter; OM - organic matter; CP - crude protein; NDF - neutral detergent fiber; pH 1 - pH value after aerobic exposure; pH 2 - pH value at silos opening after relocation; NH3-N - ammoniacal nitrogen; Total VFA - total volatile fatty acids; 2CS: whole-plant corn silage (WPCS, not inoculated and not relocated); R-12h: WPCS relocated for 12h; IR-12h: WPCS inoculated with Lactobacillus plantarum (1 × 105 cfu g-1 per gram of fresh forage) and relocated for 12h; and R-24h: WPCS not inoculated and relocated for 24h
The continuous activity of lambs was not affected (p > 0.05) by the different silages provided, probably owing to the similarity in chemical composition of silages, which was proven by the absence of butyric acid in these silages

Summary

Introduction

In particular silage crops such as corn, is commonly used as feedstuff in animal production (Bernardes & Rêgo, 2014). The use of silage is one of the most effective methods to ensure the feeding of animals during the dry season or throughout the year and guarantee the sustainability of production systems and animal performance. Poor management or lack of forage on farms are still common situations in different animal production systems. The relocation of silages has become a daily practice among producers that experience problems in forage production (Chen & Weinberg, 2014). The silage is exposed to air for hours or days (Chen & Weinberg, 2014). The exposure of silage to air allows for the growth of undesirable microorganisms that cause of silage deterioration owing to their use of lactic acid and soluble carbohydrates for their metabolism (Borreani, Tabacco, Schmidt, Holmes, & Muck, 2018)

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