Crude glycerin in the supplement for beef cattle on pasture

Four experiments were conducted during the dry and rainy season, in order to assess the increasing concentrations of crude glycerin (80% glycerol) in the supplement of young Nellore grazing tropical grass, on intake, digestibility, ruminal fermentation, rumen microorganism profile, performance, methane emission, and carcass and meat quality traits. The treatment consist of supplements with increasing concentrations (0, 70, 140, 210, and 280 g/kg DM basis of supplement) of crude glycerin, fed to the animals in a ratio of 700 g/ 100kg of body weight in the dry season and 300 g/100kg of body weight in the rainy season. In the dry season, fifty young Nellore bulls (279.52 ± 16.31 kg initial body weight) were used for animal performance evaluation, and ten ruminal cannulated Nellore steers (408.8 ± 38.5 kg) were used to investigate the digestibility, ruminal fermentation and rumen microorganism profile, in the two experimental phases. In the rainy season, the experiments were replicated with the same animals used in the previous phase. Inclusion of crude glycerin in the supplement of young Nellore steers grazing tropical grass in the dry season, does not affect intake and apparent total tract digestibility. However, alters rumen fermentation whereas increases butyrate and valerate while reducing acetate and total VFA, showed no negative effect on relative proportion of cellulolytic bacteria and protozoa population. Nevertheless, inclusion concentration of glycerin at up to 28% DM in the supplement of growing Nellore bulls raising tropical grass in the dry season, improved BW gain and feed efficiency. Inclusion of crude glycerin up to the level of 28% of dry matter in the supplement does not alter the carcass characteristics, the meat quality and methane emission. However, glycerin supplementation promotes additional daily gain with potential ... (AU)