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Performance, feed efficiency, feeding behavior, and cortisol concentration of lambs ranked for Residual Feed Intake and Residual Intake and Gain

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Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the performance, feed efficiency, feeding behavior, and cortisol concentrations of lambs ranked into different groups of Residual Feed Intake (RFI) and Residual Intake and Gain (RIG). Forty Santa Inês lambs with a mean initial age of 120 ± 30 days and mean initial (IBW) and final body weight (FBW) of 28.9 ± 3.2 and 43.7 ± 3.9 kg, respectively, were used. The animals were fed at an automatic feed and water station (Intergado®) for 60 days and classified at the end of the experiment as low-RFI/RIG, medium-RFI/RIG, and high-RFI/RIG according to RFI and RIG. Performance, feed efficiency measures, ingestive behavior, temperament, and cortisol concentrations were measured, and Pearson’s correlation analysis was performed to evaluate the relationship between the variables studied. The variables that differed most between RFI groups were dry matter intake, feed conversion, and feed efficiency, with better values in efficient animals (RFI−). Regarding the RGI groups, the average daily gain of animals classified as RIG- was 19.37% lower than that of animals classified as RIG± and 39.28% lower than that of animals classified as RIG+. Only the hourly feeding rate per day (p = 0.04) differed significantly between RFI and RIG classes, while no differences were observed for the ingestive behavior variables or cortisol. The number of visits to the feed bunk (total, with or without intake) showed no correlation with any performance or efficiency measure. Identifying animals ranked into different RFI and RIG classes shows that more efficient animals have a lower feed intake for the same weight gain and spend less time at the feed bunk.

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Abbreviations

ADF:

Acid detergent fiber

ADIN:

Acid detergent insoluble nitrogen

ADG:

Average daily gain

BW0.75:

Average metabolic weight

BW:

Body weight

CF:

Crude fiber

CP:

Crude protein

NVC:

Daily frequency of visits with intake

NVWC:

Daily frequency of visits without intake

DM:

Dry matter

DMI:

Dry matter intake

DWG:

Daily weight gain

EE:

Ethereal extract

FC:

Feed conversion

FE:

Feed efficiency

FRT:

Feed rate per visit to the feed bunk

FBW:

Final body weight

TNV:

Frequency of total visits

FRh/d:

Hourly feed rate per day

IBW:

Initial body weight

KR:

Kleiber rate

MDG:

Mean daily gain

MM:

Mineral matter

NDF:

Neutral detergent fiber

NDIN:

Neutral detergent insoluble nitrogen

NFC:

Non-fibrous carbohydrates

NNE:

Non-nitrogenous extractives

RFID:

Radio-frequency identification

RGR:

Relative growth rate

RFI:

Residual Feed Intake

RGi:

Residual gain index

RIG:

Residual Intake and Gain

TDN:

Total digestible nitrogen

TTSC:

Total time spent in the feed bunk

TNV:

Total number of visits (per day)

NVC:

Total number of visits with intake (per day)

NVCW:

Total number of visits without intake (per day)

TSC:

Total time spent in the feed bunk with intake

TTSC:

Total time spent in the feed bunk (minutes)

TSWC:

Total time spent in the feed bunk without intake

WI:

Water intake

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Funding

The research was supported by Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Ensino Superior (CAPES).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento em Zootecnia Diversificada, Instituto de Zootecnia, Nova Odessa, SP, 13380011, Brazil

    Luiza Vage Coelho Sartori, Danielle Nunes Gurgeira, Josiel Ferreira & Ricardo Lopes Dias da Costa

  2. Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura (CENA), Universidade Estadual de São Paulo (USP), Piracicaba, SP, 13400970, Brazil

    Charleni Crisóstomo

  3. Centro de Pesquisa Pecuária Sustentável, Instituto de Zootecnia, São José do Rio Preto, SP, 15130000, Brazil

    Claudia Cristina Paro de Paz

Authors
  1. Luiza Vage Coelho Sartori
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  2. Danielle Nunes Gurgeira
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  3. Charleni Crisóstomo
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  4. Claudia Cristina Paro de Paz
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  5. Josiel Ferreira
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  6. Ricardo Lopes Dias da Costa
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Contributions

LVCS, DNG, CC, CPdP, and RLDdC: methodological design and conceptualization of the idea, treatment and data analysis, writing, and final revision; CPdP and RLDdC: supervision and administration of the experimental project, writing, and final revision; CPdP, JF, and RLDdC: writing, final revising the manuscript critically for important intellectual content

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Josiel Ferreira or Ricardo Lopes Dias da Costa.

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Ethical approval

This experiment was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Instituto de Zootecnia (process number: Process number 19, 2018).

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The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

This investigation was carried out as a result of the final exam for Master Science of L.V.C. Sartori, student of the Programa de Pós Graduação em Produção Animal Sustentável, of the Instituto de Zootecnia, located in Nova Odessa, SP, Brazil.

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Sartori, L.V.C., Gurgeira, D.N., Crisóstomo, C. et al. Performance, feed efficiency, feeding behavior, and cortisol concentration of lambs ranked for Residual Feed Intake and Residual Intake and Gain. Trop Anim Health Prod 56, 51 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-024-03894-3

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