Pires Bianca V, Reolon Henrique G, Abduch Natalya G, Souza Luana L, Sakamoto Leandro S, Mercadante Maria Eugênia Z, Silva Rafael M O, Fragomeni Breno O, Baldi Fernando, Paz Claudia C P, Stafuzza Nedenia B
Beef Cattle Research Center, Institute of Animal Science (IZ), Sertãozinho 14160-900, SP, Brazil.
Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto 140349-900, SP, Brazil.
Animals (Basel). 2022 Nov 18;12(22):3196. doi: 10.3390/ani12223196.
Feed and water efficiency are important traits to improve beef cattle production’s economic and environmental sustainability. This study evaluated residual feed intake (RFI) and residual water intake (RWI) and their relationship with performance, ingestive behavior, and carcass traits in Caracu beef cattle. The data were analyzed using a generalized linear model with least squares means. The ingestive behavior, performance, and carcass traits were influenced by sex (p < 0.05). Males showed higher dry matter intake (DMI), average daily gain (ADG), mid-test metabolic weight (BW0.75), rib eye area, and rump fat thickness than females, besides spending more time drinking and eating. Low RFI animals exhibited higher DMI than high RFI animals. Low RWI animals ingested 3.89 L/d of water further than high RWI animals. The interaction between sex and RWI influenced the DMI, BW0.75, and backfat thickness. The ingestive behavior of low and high RFI animals was similar, although high RWI animals visited a smaller number of drinkers than low RWI animals. Water intake positively affects productive efficiency, and the combined use of RWI and RFI may help improve the selection of more efficient animals contributing to reducing the costs of beef cattle production and improving environmental sustainability.
饲料和水利用效率是提高肉牛生产经济和环境可持续性的重要性状。本研究评估了剩余采食量(RFI)和剩余饮水量(RWI)及其与卡拉库肉牛生产性能、采食行为和胴体性状的关系。数据采用带最小二乘均值的广义线性模型进行分析。采食行为、生产性能和胴体性状受性别影响(p < 0.05)。雄性的干物质采食量(DMI)、平均日增重(ADG)、试验中期代谢体重(BW0.75)、眼肌面积和臀脂厚度均高于雌性,且花费更多时间饮水和采食。低RFI动物的DMI高于高RFI动物。低RWI动物比高RWI动物每天多摄入3.89升水。性别与RWI之间的相互作用影响了DMI、BW0.75和背膘厚度。低RFI动物和高RFI动物的采食行为相似,尽管高RWI动物访问饮水器的次数比低RWI动物少。饮水量对生产效率有积极影响,RWI和RFI的联合使用可能有助于更好地选择更高效的动物,从而降低肉牛生产成本并提高环境可持续性。