To improve the efficiency of lifestock production it is important to focus on the conditioning phase, after the arrival of the animals. One of the major problem is related to stressors, such as regrouping and movements of animals, which can affect the development of the immune profile. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of two different vitamin and mineral integration on the performance and the health of beef cattle during the first period of breeding The study was conducted on 107 young charolaise bulls during the first 46 days of breeding. Animals were grouped according to weight. (407 ± 23 kg), and age (300±53) in 11 pens; 5 pens (47 animals in total), were fed with a standard integration and 6 pens (60 animal in total) with an experimental integrator. Feed intake for group, rumination time and activity of each animal were measured daily. Total mixed ration (TMR) samples and residual samples were collected weekly, submitted to chemical analyses and shieved with a modify Penn State separator. Temperature Humidity Index (THI) was measured weekly. The trial was divided into 2 periods Weight, average daily gain, activity and rumination time data were analyzed by ANOVA and PROC GLM (SAS). Mineral integration (Control vs Experimental), pen (within diet) and period were used as fixed factors, while the initial weight was used as a covariable. A Z test was conducted in order to establish the different risks between groups on the onset of Bovine Respiratory Distress syndrome (BRD). The control and experimental group (C vs SP) had a Dry Matter Intake (DMI) of 8,14 and 7,70 kg/d during the first period and 8,44 and 8,31 kg/d during the second period.( P=0,291) The average mean value of the C and SP group for both periods were of 8,29 and 8,00 kg/d respectively, and no significant differences were found between groups (P=0,567). In addition, no significant effects were observed for weight due to different integration (464 kg vs 468 C vs SP; P= 0.562), though significant effects were found due to period (447,5 vs 485 C vs SP; P< 0.001), with a higher weight in the second phase. The subjects of the SP group showed an Avarage Daily Gain (AVG) 10% higher than the control (1.72 vs. 1.56 kg/d) and this difference was statistically significant (P = 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in feed efficiency and rumination time between C vs SP group. This can be related to the high individual animal variability. A tendency to significance were reported for the activity (P=0,085). Five animals were found to be affected by BRD (six cases in total), two in the SP group and 4 in the C group, but no significance evidence emerged.(2 vs 4, respectively; P=0.492). The outcomes of the study suggest that the experimental integration resulted more efficient in improving the average daily gain, probably due to a major oligoelement biodisponibily, and that can lead to an increase of cattle performances. More studies are needed to investigate the effects on rumination time and activity.

Effect of different formulation of oligoelements on the health and the performance of beef cattle during conditioning phase

Cortese M;Marchesini G;Ughelini N;Chinello M;Andrighetto I.
2018

Abstract

To improve the efficiency of lifestock production it is important to focus on the conditioning phase, after the arrival of the animals. One of the major problem is related to stressors, such as regrouping and movements of animals, which can affect the development of the immune profile. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of two different vitamin and mineral integration on the performance and the health of beef cattle during the first period of breeding The study was conducted on 107 young charolaise bulls during the first 46 days of breeding. Animals were grouped according to weight. (407 ± 23 kg), and age (300±53) in 11 pens; 5 pens (47 animals in total), were fed with a standard integration and 6 pens (60 animal in total) with an experimental integrator. Feed intake for group, rumination time and activity of each animal were measured daily. Total mixed ration (TMR) samples and residual samples were collected weekly, submitted to chemical analyses and shieved with a modify Penn State separator. Temperature Humidity Index (THI) was measured weekly. The trial was divided into 2 periods Weight, average daily gain, activity and rumination time data were analyzed by ANOVA and PROC GLM (SAS). Mineral integration (Control vs Experimental), pen (within diet) and period were used as fixed factors, while the initial weight was used as a covariable. A Z test was conducted in order to establish the different risks between groups on the onset of Bovine Respiratory Distress syndrome (BRD). The control and experimental group (C vs SP) had a Dry Matter Intake (DMI) of 8,14 and 7,70 kg/d during the first period and 8,44 and 8,31 kg/d during the second period.( P=0,291) The average mean value of the C and SP group for both periods were of 8,29 and 8,00 kg/d respectively, and no significant differences were found between groups (P=0,567). In addition, no significant effects were observed for weight due to different integration (464 kg vs 468 C vs SP; P= 0.562), though significant effects were found due to period (447,5 vs 485 C vs SP; P< 0.001), with a higher weight in the second phase. The subjects of the SP group showed an Avarage Daily Gain (AVG) 10% higher than the control (1.72 vs. 1.56 kg/d) and this difference was statistically significant (P = 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in feed efficiency and rumination time between C vs SP group. This can be related to the high individual animal variability. A tendency to significance were reported for the activity (P=0,085). Five animals were found to be affected by BRD (six cases in total), two in the SP group and 4 in the C group, but no significance evidence emerged.(2 vs 4, respectively; P=0.492). The outcomes of the study suggest that the experimental integration resulted more efficient in improving the average daily gain, probably due to a major oligoelement biodisponibily, and that can lead to an increase of cattle performances. More studies are needed to investigate the effects on rumination time and activity.
2018
Book of Abstracts of the 69th Annual Meeting of the European Federation of Animal Science
69th Annual Meeting of the European Federation of Animal Science
978-90-8686-323-5
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11577/3286605
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