Post-weaning growth rate effects on body composition of Nellore bulls
Luiz H. P. Silva A E F , Pedro V. R. Paulino B , Pedro D. B. Benedeti C , Mauricio M. Estrada A , Lyvian C. Alves A , Débora E. F. Assis A , Gutierrez J. F. Assis A , Fernando P. Leonel D , Sebastião C. Valadares Filho A , Mário F. Paulino A and Mario L. Chizzotti A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Department of Animal Science, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, 3657-000, Brazil.
B Cargill Animal Nutrition/Nutron, Campinas, São Paulo, 13086-903, Brazil.
C Department of Animal Sciences, Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina, Chapecó, Santa Catarina, 89815-630, Brazil.
D Department of Animal Science, Universidade Federal de São João del-Rei, São João del-Rei, Minas Gerais, 36307-352, Brazil.
E Present address: Department of Agriculture, Nutrition, and Food Systems, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA.
F Corresponding author. Email: luiz.h.silva@ufv.br
Animal Production Science 60(6) 852-862 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN19032
Submitted: 22 January 2019 Accepted: 27 June 2019 Published: 19 March 2020
Abstract
Context: Previously feed-restricted cattle may exhibit compensatory growth during the finishing phase. However, the efficiency in converting feed into carcass should be evaluated since cattle undergoing compensatory growth usually have high non-carcass weight gain.
Aims: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of growth rate throughout the post-weaning growing phase on subsequent feed efficiency, carcass gain, and gain composition.
Methods: Thirty-nine weaned young Nellore bulls averaging 230.4 ± 5.62 kg of bodyweight and 8.5 ± 0.25 months of age were used. Initially, five bulls were slaughtered as a reference initial group. The remaining bulls were randomly assigned to one of three nutritional plans to achieve Low (0 kg/day), Medium (0.6 kg/day) or High (1.2 kg/day) average daily gain (ADG) throughout the post-weaning growing phase, followed by high growth rate during the finishing phase. One-half of the bulls from each treatment were slaughtered at the end of the post-weaning growing phase, and the other one-half after the finishing phase. During both phases the feed intake, apparent digestibility, performance, and body composition were evaluated.
Key results: Throughout the post-weaning growing phase, High bulls had greater ADG and more efficiently converted feed into carcass, compared with other nutritional plans (P < 0.01). Throughout the finishing phase, Low bulls had greater ADG, carcass gain, and feed efficiency than High and Medium bulls (P < 0.01). Previous feed restriction did not affect (P > 0.05) apparent digestibility. During the finishing phase, previously restricted bulls fully compensated for the lost visceral organ weight, whereas the losses of bodyweight and carcass weight were only partially compensated. Throughout finishing, Low bulls had the greatest feed efficiency and profitability among nutritional plans. However, considering the overall experiment, Hight bulls converted feed into carcass more efficiently than Low bulls (P = 0.02), but did not differ from Medium (P > 0.05).
Conclusions: Although previously restricted bulls had greater performance and efficiency throughout finishing, the improvement was not enough to reach the same carcass weight at the same age of the unrestricted bulls.
Implications: Despite the greater profitability of previously restricted bulls throughout finishing, unrestricted bulls were more profitable considering both growing and finishing phases.
Additional keywords: catch-up gain, compensatory growth, gut fill, non-carcass gain, zebu cattle.
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