Efeito do número de animais por cocho eletrônico sobre o desempenho e comportamento alimentar em bovinos de corte

Abstract

The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of animal density per electronic feeder on the productive performance and feeding behavior of feedlot-finished beef cattle. Eighteen crossbred steers European × Zebu, with an average body weight of 450 kg and an average age of 18 months, were used over a 68 day experimental period. The animals were allocated to three collective pens, each equipped with a Ponta® brand electronic feeder and an automatic waterer. All animals were subjected to the same feeding management, with a diet formulated to promote an average daily gain of 1 kg/animal. Individual monitoring included dry matter intake, the frequency and duration of visits to the feeder, and body weight, which was automatically recorded during access to the waterer. Samples of the offered diet and refusals were collected weekly for bromatological composition analysis. The evaluated parameters included dry matter intake, average daily gain, carcass yield, and feed conversion ratio. In terms of productive performance, the treatments FOUR, SIX, and CON (corresponding to the proportions of four, six, and eight animals per electronic feeder, respectively) presented dry matter intake values of 5.699, 5.409, and 4.806 kg/day, and organic matter intake values of 5.318, 5.048, and 4.484 kg/day, respectively. The observed average ADG values were 0.429, 0.741, and 0.674 kg/day for the CON, SIX, and FOUR treatments, respectively. No statistically significant differences were observed among treatments regarding feed conversion or feed efficiency. Similarly, variables related to daily carcass gain and carcass yield showed no statistically significant differences among treatments, with an overall average carcass yield of 48.6%. Regarding feeding behavior, it was observed that, on average, approximately 15% of feeder visits did not result in feed intake. This behavior may be associated with the social hierarchy among the animals, influencing the frequency and duration of visits between dominant and subordinate individuals. It is concluded that the ratio of one individual electronic feeder per four, six, or eight feedlot-finished cattle housed in collective pens does not impair zootechnical performance or significantly alter ingestive behavior. Therefore, the use of up to eight animals per individual electronic feeder is considered feasible under the evaluated conditions.