Ingestive behavior and its relation to the dynamics of changes in rumen pH of Nellore cattle fed a high concentrate diet of abrupt form

Abstract

The objective is to evaluate the ingestive behavior and its relation to the dynamics of changes in rumen pH of animals. Twelve Nellore ruminally cannulated, average weight of 480 kg, will be confined in an open shed, in individual stalls. The animals will be fed once a day, a high concentrate diet of abrupt form and with different ruminal additives. The animals distribuition among the four treatments will be: A) Control (no additives), B) Control + 30 mg/kg monensin; C) Control + 40 mg/kg monensin; D) Control + essential oil fed at 400 mg/kg. in a randomized block design with repeated measures on time. Two experimental periods will be used; each experimental period (21 d) represents a block. Dry matter intake will be measured daily The ingestive behavior will be registered on four occasions during each experimental period, through the direct method. The ruminal pH will be obtained continuously from a datalogger at intervals of 10 minutes. The final results will allow to get practical conclusions on the ingestive behavior and its relation to the dynamics of ruminal pH of animals receiving different ruminal additives.(AU)