Abstract
The objective was to determine the effects of driving on the growth of steers during 55 days of moving by drive and 84 days after the arrival. Twenty-five steers were randomly chosen from a herd of 1,000 Nellore cattle, which were evaluated in two periods: the driving period, in which animals were moved a distance of 700 km on foot for 55 d; and the post-driving period, which lasted 84 d. Serum samples were obtained for hormone dosing (T3, T4, cortisol, and IGF-I) by radioimmunoassay using commercial kits. The data was collected at different time points during the experiment. No changes in live weight were observed between days 0 and 55. During the post-driving period, on the 28th, 56th, and 84th d, the average weights were 226.10 kg, 224.28 kg, and 242.6 kg, respectively; differences in weight were observed on the 84th d when compared with the 56th d. There were no changes in insulin and T3 levels in either periods; the lowest T4concentration was observed during the driving period. The serum T4concentration increased after 56 d of post-driving, and it was greater than the concentrations detected on the other days. The highest levels of cortisol were identified after 28 d of post-driving. An increase in IGF-I concentration was observed after 56 and 84 d of post-driving. Moving cattle by driving does not alter the weight of the animals and weight gain occurs during the post-driving period due to an increase in the T4 and IGF-I levels.
Highlights
The Central West and Northern regions of Brazil, which together hold approximately 111.10 million cattle (IBGE, 2010), commonly display the traditional figure of cattle drives in long trips on country roads
The questions are: what is the relationship between walking and weight loss? Which endocrine changes are observed along the walk? How do these animals recover after their arrival at the destination farm?
An effect of the period was observed on the live weight of the animals (Table 1); the lowest weight was observed on the 20th day during driving and the highest on the 84th day during post-driving
Summary
The Central West and Northern regions of Brazil, which together hold approximately 111.10 million cattle (IBGE, 2010), commonly display the traditional figure of cattle drives in long trips on country roads. In the case of Mato Grosso do Sul State - Brazil, with a flock of 22.3 million cattle (IBGE, 2010), the State Agency for Animal and Plant Health Protection estimates that driving represented about 20% of the means of transportation for livestock in 2009, 2010 and 2011, accounting for 2.7, 2.6 and 2.6 million cattle, respectively. Physical stress combined with food restriction during long walks can lead to weight loss, with serious consequences on the animal growth, changes in body composition and endocrine, metabolic, and compensation mechanisms. In this context, the questions are: what is the relationship between walking and weight loss? The questions are: what is the relationship between walking and weight loss? Which endocrine changes are observed along the walk? How do these animals recover after their arrival at the destination farm?
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