Background: in cattle production systems, antibiotics are commonly fed to cattle to prevent diseases, metabolic disorders, and to improve feed efficiency. Considerable effort has been devoted towards developing alternatives to the use of antibiotics. Objective: to evaluate the effect of propolis or cashew and castor oils on animal performance, feed intake, digestibility, and blood cell counts of young bulls. Methods: bulls were kept in a feedlot for 49 days. Starting on the 40th day, feces were sampled for five days to estimate digestibility using indigestible dry matter (DM) as a marker. Bulls were fed a control diet (CON) with sorghum silage (41% DM) and cracked corn, soybean meal, glycerine, limestone, and mineral salt. The propolis-supplemented group (PRO) received 3 g/animal/d in the concentrate. The essential oils-supplemented group (OIL) received 3 g/animal/d (1.5 g cashew oil + 1.5 g castor oil) added to the concentrate. Results: final body weight, average daily gain and feed efficiency were better for bulls fed the OIL diet. Propolis or essential oils had no effect on feed intake and digestibility. There was no effect of propolis or essential oils on blood cell counts. Red blood cell concentration was greater in the last day of the experiment, while the number of white blood cells was lower. Conclusions: dietary addition of propolis did not affect bull performance or feed efficiency. The addition of essential oils improved performance. Feed intake, digestibility, and blood cell counts were similar in all treatments.

Antecedentes: no sistema de produção de bovinos, os antibióticos são fornecidos aos bovinos para prevenir doenças e perturbações metabólicas e melhorar a eficiência alimentar. Consideráveis esforços têm sido realizados para desenvolver produtos alternativos aos antibióticos. Objetivo: avaliar o efeito de produtos alternativos: própolis, óleos de caju e mamona no desempenho animal, ingestão de alimentos, digestibilidade e células sanguíneas de toros jovens. Métodos: os animais foram confinados durante 49 dias. No quadragésimo dia de confinamento, as fezes foram amostradas por cinco dias para determinar a digestibilidade (matéria seca indigestível foi usada como indicador). Os animais foram alimentados com uma dieta controle (CON) com silagem de sorgo (41% da matéria seca) e milho moído, farelo de soja, glicerina, calcário e sal mineral. O grupo própolis (PRO) recebeu 3 g/animal/d dieta. O grupo com óleos essenciais (OIL) receberam 3 g/animal/d (1,5 g de óleo de mamona + 1,5 g de óleo de caju) na dieta. Resultados: o peso final, o ganho médio diário e a eficiência alimentar foram melhores para os animais alimentados com a dieta OIL. Própolis ou óleos essenciais não tiveram efeito na ingestão de alimentos e digestibilidade aparente. Não houve efeito de própolis ou dos óleos essenciais na dieta nos valores de células sanguíneas. A concentração de células vermelhas foi maior no último dia do experimento, enquanto que a concentração de células brancas foi menor. Conclusões: a adição de própolis na dieta dos animais em sistema intensivo de produção não teve efeito sobre o desempenho animal e eficiência alimentar. A adição de óleos essenciais melhorou o desempenho animal. A ingestão de alimentos, digestibilidade e células sanguíneas foram similares em todos os tratamentos.

The natural additive products (propolis or essential oils), in replacing antibiotics, could be used as an alternative for feed strategies to improve animal production. This work was performed to evaluate the effect of natural additives as propolis or essential oils on meat quality of crossbred (Aberdeen Angus vs. Nellore) bulls. Thirty bulls were kept in feedlot (individual pen) for 55 d and randomly assigned to one of three diets (n = 10): control (CON), propolis (PRO), or essential oils (OIL). CON diet consists of corn silage (45% DM) and concentrate (cracked corn, soybean meal, glycerin, limestone, and mineral salt, 55% DM). The PRO group received same CON diet plus 3 g animal-1 d-1 of propolis premix added to the concentrate. The OIL group received same CON diet and 3 g animal-1 d-1 of a premix (cashew Anacardium occidentale L. and castor Ricinus communis L. oils) added to the concentrate. Fat thickness (5.0 mm), pH (5.9), Longissimus muscle area 58.0 cm², marbling, texture, color (L* = 36.6, a* = 17.3, and b* = 5.9), lipid oxidation (0.08 malonaldehyde kg-1 meat), and Warner-Bratzler shear force (3.3 kg) were unaffected by the diet. PRO and OIL diets had no effect neither on moisture (73.7%), ashes (1.1%), protein (23.8%), and lipids (1.7%), fatty acid composition or polyunsaturated/saturated fatty acid (PUFA/ SFA, 0.13), and n-6/n-3 ratio (6.9) on Longissimus muscle. Addition of natural additives as propolis extract or cashew and castor oils in the diet of bulls when they are finished in a feedlot did not change meat qualities.

Este trabalho foi realizado para avaliar o efeito da adição de própolis e óleos essenciais sobre o desempenho animal, ingestão de alimentos, digestibilidade aparente, características de carcaça de bovinos não castrados terminados em confinamento. Trinta bovinos (½ Aberdeen Angus vs. ½ Nelore) foram designados ao acaso para uma das três dietas (Controle - CON, Própolis - PRO e Óleos essenciais - OIL) e mantidos em confinamento (baias individuais) durante 55 dias. A dieta CON era composta de 45% de silagem de milho, 40% de concentrado (milho moído, farelo de soja, calcário e sal mineral) e 15% de glicerina. O grupo PRO recebeu a mesma dieta que o grupo controle mais 3 gramas animal dia-1 propolis seco adicionado ao concentrado. O grupo OIL recebeu a mesma dieta que o controle mais gramas animal dia¹ de óleos essenciais (óleos de mamona e caju) adicionados ao concentrado. O peso final, ganho médio diário, eficiência alimentar e peso de carcaça quente foram melhores para os bovinos suplementados com óleos essenciais e própolis do que para os animais da dieta controle. A ingestão de alimentos, digestibilidade aparente, conformação de carcaça e composição de tecidos não foram alterados pela adição de aditivos. A adição de própolis e óleos essenciais na dieta de bovinos melhorou o desempenho animal e peso de carcaça.

This work was realized to evaluate the effect of natural additives as propolis or essential oils addition on animal performance, feed intake, apparent digestibility and carcass characteristics of bulls finished in feedlot. Thirty bulls (½ Aberdeen Angus vs. ½ Nellore) were randomly assigned in one of three diets (control - CON, propolis - PRO and essential oils - OIL) and kept in feedlot (individual pen) during 55 days. CON diet consists of 45% corn silage, 40% concentrate (cracked corn, soybean meal, limestone and mineral salt) and 15% glycerine. The PRO group received same diet that control plus 3 grams to animal day-1 of propolis dry added to the concentrate. The OIL oils group received same diet that control and 3 grams to animal day-1 of essential oils (cashew and castor oils) added to the concentrate. Final weight, average daily gain, feed efficiency and hot carcass weightwere better for bulls supplemented with essential oils and propolis than for bulls fed control diet. The feed intake, apparent digestibility, carcass conformation and tissue composition were unaffected by the additives addition. The addition of propolis and essential oils in the diets of bulls finished in feedlot improve animal performance and carcass weight.

Este trabalho foi realizado para avaliar a substituição do milho por níveis de glicerina sobre o comportamento animal, eficiências de alimentação e ruminação de novilhos precoces Purunã terminados em confinamento. Foram utilizados 40 novilhos Purunã com 208,8 ± 33,3 kg e oito meses de idade. As dietas utilizadas foram sem glicerina- G00, 6% de glicerina - G06, 12% de glicerina - G12 e 18% de glicerina - G18. A ingestão de MS foi semelhante em todas as dietas. Por outro lado, a ingestão de FDN diminuiu linearmente com a suplementação de diferentes níveis de glicerina nas dietas. As eficiências de alimentação e ruminação de MS e FDN foram semelhantes em todos as dietas. A glicerina alterou a duração das atividades comportamentais. A suplementação da dieta com glicerina não afetou a frequência de alimentação. De outro modo, a frequência de ruminação foi reduzida linearmente com a inclusão de glicerina. As frequências de outras atividades apresentou efeito quadrático com a adição de glicerina. A inclusão de glicerina à dieta reduziu o tempo de duração das frequências de alimentação, mas não afetou o tempo despendido nas frequências de ruminação. Entretanto, a duração das frequências de outras atividades aumentou linearmente com a inclusão de glicerina à dieta.

This work was carried out to study corn substituting by glycerin levels on animal behavior, feeding and rumination efficiency of Purunã young bulls finished in feed-lot. It was utilized 40 bulls Purunã breed with 208.8 ± 33.3 kg and eight months old. The diets were: without glycerin - G00, 6% of glycerin - G06, 12% of glycerin - G12 and 18% of glycerin - G18. Dry matter intake was similar among diets. On the other hand, NDF intake decreased linearly with glycerin levels supplementation in the diets. Feeding and rumination efficiency DM and NDF were similar among diets. Glycerin changed activities durations of bulls. Glycerin did not affect feed frequency. At contrary, rumination frequency was reduced linearly with glycerin inclusion. Others activities frequencies showed a quadratic effect with the glycerin addition. Glycerin inclusion in the diet reduced the time duration for feed frequency, but had no effect on the time spent for rumination frequency. However, the frequency duration for other activities increased linearly with glycerin inclusion.

This study was conducted to evaluate the performance, carcass characteristics and chemical composition of Longissimusmuscle (LM) of the bulls. Twenty-four Nellore bulls were used in a complete randomised design. The bulls were randomly assigned to one of the three diets containing 0, 5 or 12% glycerin. Final BW and ADG were similar (P>0.05) between the bulls fed with 5 or 12% of glycerin but were higher (P<0.10) compared to the bulls fed without glycerin. DMI and feed efficiency was not affected (P>0.05) by glycerin level. Hot carcass weight increased (P<0.10) when glycerin was fed at 5%. Glycerin level did not affect (P<0.05) the dressing percentage and fat thickness. LM increased (P<0.10) when glycerin was fed at 12%. Dietary glycerin did not affect (P>0.05) the conformation, colour, texture, marbling and pH. There was difference (P>0.05) for moisture, ashes and crude protein among glycerin levels. Bulls fed 12% glycerin present the highest (P<0.03) total lipids on LM. The percentage of saturated fatty acids (SFA), monounsaturated acids (MUFA), polyunsaturated acids (PUFA), n-6 and n-3 fatty acids and PUFA/SFA and n-6:n-3 ratios of the LM were similar among the diets. In conclusion, glycerin level did not affect the animal performance and carcass characteristics of Nellore bulls finished in feedlot.

O experimento foi realizado para estudar a inclusão de glicerina sobre o comportamento ingestivo de novilhas. O período foi de 102 dias. Foram utilizadas 36 novilhas com peso inicial médio de 226 + 12 kg e 13 meses de idade, distribuídas em delineamento inteiramente casualizado com quatro tratamentos e nove repetições: G0,0 = controle; G2,8 = 2,80%; G6,1 = 6,10% e G9,1 = 9,10% de glicerina na MS ingerida. O comportamento ingestivo foi acompanhado pelas atividades dos animais durante 24h a cada 5 min. A inclusão de glicerina na dieta das novilhas determinou a redução linear no tempo de pastejo, aumento linear no tempo de ócio e efeito quadrático no tempo de cocho. Ainda, não alterou o número de período em pastejo e ruminação. O número de período em ócio mostrou efeito quadrático. O período de cocho mostrou redução linear com o aumento de glicerina. A glicerina não alterou o tempo por período de pastejo e ruminação. O tempo de período de ócio aumentou de forma linear com aumento da glicerina. O tempo de alimentação e de mastigação total mostrou redução linear com inclusão de glicerina.

The effect of glycerin inclusion on the intake behavior of heifers was analyzed. During the 102-day experimental period, thirty-six 13-month old heifers, average initial weight 226±12 kg, were distributed in a completely randomized design with four treatments and nine replications: G0.0 = control, G2.8 = 2.8%, G6.1 = 6.1%, and G9.1 = 9.1% glycerin in DM intake. Intake behavior was undertaken by monitoring animal activities for 24 hours every five minutes. The inclusion of glycerin in the diet resulted in a linear decrease in grazing time, linear increase in idle time and quadratic effect on trough time. Moreover, glycerin inclusion did not affect the number of grazing and rumination periods. The number of idle periods showed a quadratic effect, whereas trough period decreased linearly with increasing glycerin. Glycerin did not affect grazing time and rumination period. Idle time increased linearly with increasing glycerin in the diets. Time had a quadratic effect and feeding and total chewing time showed a linear decrease with glycerin inclusion in the diets.

Two height cuttings of corn silage with or without enzyme inoculants were evaluated for 68 days on performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality and chemical composition of the Longissimus muscle in crossbred bulls (F1 - ½ Nellore vs. ½ Angus) finished in feedlot. Thirty-two 20-month-old bulls, with initial average weight of 374±25 kg, were kept in individual pens (10 m²). Diets consisted of 50% roughage and 50% concentrate, with an expected 1.80 kg/day weight gain. The experimental design with four diets and eight replications was completely randomized. Different cutting heights, low (25 cm) and high (45 cm), with or without enzyme inoculants, were studied. Live weight, average daily gain, feed intake, feed efficiency, carcass characteristics, muscle, fat and bone percentages at the 11th and 12th ribs, chemical composition of the Longissimus muscle, sum of saturated, mono-unsaturated, poly-unsaturated fatty acids, n-3 fatty acids, n-6 fatty acids, and the poly-unsaturated:saturated and n-6:n-3 relations were determined. Cutting height of silage corn and the use of inoculants did not affect final live weight, average daily gain, feed intake, alimentary efficiency of dry matter, carcass characteristics, meat quality, chemical composition of the Longissimus muscle or fatty acid profile. High cutting of silage corn (45 cm above the ground) and the use of inoculants are not necessary in the case of cattle finished in feedlot, with 1.8 kg daily gain.