INGESTIVE BEHAVIOR OF YOUNG BULLS FED DIETS CONTAINING LEVELS OF WHOLE CORN GERM

Abstract

This research was conducted to assess the ingestive behavior during 24 hours in eight periods of the day of 24 Limousin x Nellore young bulls in feedlot, fed with diets containing 0; 15; 30 and 45% of whole corn germ. At 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., the animals were fed with a roughage:concentrate ration of 25:75. The inclusion of whole corn germ in the diets did not affect the time spent with food intake, sleeping and other activities, neither the frequencies of water drinking, urination and defecation. Food intake occurred more often during the periods when animals were fed, spending in average 137.10 minutes with this activity. Animals slept more during the night, from 2 to 5 a.m., whereas the time spent with other activities was higher from 5 to 8 p.m. Whole corn germ levels affected the rumination and leisure time in a quadratic form, with the 30% level showing higher rumination time (28.3% of the daily time), and lower leisure time (42.24% of the daily time).  Animals submitted to different levels of whole corn germ showed distinct behavior for rumination, leisure, food intake, sleeping and other activities, and frequencies of water drinking, urination and defecation, during the different periods of the day. The inclusion of whole corn germ to the diet of bovines provides greater rumination time and modifies the distribution of this activity during the day.

KEYWORDS: byproducts; ether extract; food intake; leisure; rumination.