ABSTRACT
Ingestive behavior of grazing heifers receiving crude glycerin supplementation during the dry-rainy season transition

Vitor Visintin Silva de Almeida1, 2*, Robério Rodrigues Silva1, Aline Cardoso Oliveira Visintin3, Augusto Cesar de Queiroz4, Fabiano Silva1, Claudia Batista Sampaio4, Mateus de Melo Lisboa1, Fabrício Bacelar Lima Mendes1, and Tulio Octavio Jardim D'Almeida Lins1
 
The search to find food alternatives for corn and feeding alternatives that reduce the cost of production has been constant. The use of oleaginous grains to produce ethanol and biodiesel has produced an excess of byproducts, especially biodiesel which produces crude glycerin. The objective of study was to evaluate the effect of including crude glycerin on the ingestive behavior of crossbred heifers supplemented with pasture. Thirty-six crossbred heifers with an initial mean weight of ± 31 were distributed in a completely randomized design with four treatments and nine replicates per treatment. The animals were kept in a Brachiaria brizantha (Hochst. ex A. Rich.) Stapf ‘Marandu’ pasture in a rotational-grazing system. The treatments tested were 0.0%>, 3.33%, 6.66%, and 9.99% crude glycerin included in total DM to replace corn (Zea mays L.) Includingcrude glycerin reduced the time for grazing and eating at the trough and increased idle time. Rumination was quadratically influenced. Eating time (min kg-1 DM and neutral detergent fiber [NDF]) was reduced, while rumination time (min kg-1 DM and NDF) was quadratically affected by adding glycerin. The variables, time spent per ruminated bolus and the number of chews per day,were not affected. The number of boluses per day showed a quadratic effect. The number of grazing, idle, ruminating, and eating at the trough periods were not affected by including crude glycerin; means were 15.1, 24.9, and 13.3 and 3.71 periods d-1, respectively. Feed and rumination efficiency (kg h-1 DM and NDF) increased when crude glycerin was included in the diet. Including crude glycerin promotes feed and rumination efficiency in grazing heifers.
Keywords: Brachiaria brizantha, chewing, eating, feed efficiency, rumination efficiency.
1Universidade Estadual do Sudoeste da Bahia UESB, Praça Primavera, 40, Bairro Primavera, Itapetinga-BA, CEP 45700-000. *Corresponding author (rrsilva.uesb@hotmail.com).
2Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia Baiano – IFBAIANO, Campus Santa Inês, Santa Inês, BA, 45320-000, Brasil.
3Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Departamento de Zootecnia, Arapiraca, AL 57310540, Brasil.
Universidade Federal de Vi̤osa РUFV, Departamento de Zootecnia, Vi̤osa, MG 36570.000, Brasil.