Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a yeast culture with a fermentation medium improves the performance of feedlot cattle

• Autor(a) principal: Oliveira, Paulo Eduardo Piemontez de
• Data de Publicação: 2023
• Outros Autores: Souza, Andre Martins de, Heker Junior, Julio Cezar, Sidor, Fernando de Souza, Cristo, Fernando Braga, Costa, Luísa da, Nascimento, Mariana Quintino, Figueiredo, Adriana Nogueira, Manzano, Ricardo Pereira, Neumann, Mikael
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Semina. Ciências Agrárias (Online)
• Texto Completo: https://ojs.uel.br/revistas/uel/index.php/semagrarias/article/view/47658
• topic: Características de carcaça; Comportamento ingestivo; Conversão alimentar; Deposição de gordura subcutânea.; Carcass traits; Feed conversion ratio; Ingestive behavior; Subcutaneous fat deposition.

Increasing the energy content of animal feed aims to enhance productive performance and improve carcass finishing. However, when randomly performed, this action can result in gastrointestinal dysfunctions that impair performance. One way to avoid such dysfunctions is to supplement the animal feed with Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, as a yeast culture or autolyzed yeast, on ingestive behavior, apparent feed digestibility, productive performance, and carcass traits of feedlot finished steers. Thirty-six ½ Angus x ½ Nellore animals with 369 ± 4 kg average initial body weight were used. The experiment lasted 133 days: 28 days for adaptation to the experimental diets and facilities, four evaluation periods, three of which with 28 days, and a fourth period with 21 days. The experimental design was a completely randomized block with three treatments and six replications. The treatments were a yeast-free diet (Control), a diet with yeast culture (7 g animal-1 day-1), and a diet with autolyzed yeast (7 g animal-1 day-1). The experimental diet consisted of 400 g kg-1 corn silage and 600 g kg-1 concentrate on a dry matter basis. Animals supplemented with yeast culture spent more time ruminating and showed higher apparent digestibility of dry matter (5.94 hours day-1 and 74.67%, respectively). Supplementation with yeast culture resulted in greater daily weight gains in animals from 0-56, 0-84, and 0-105 experimental days (1.661, 1655, and 1.667 kg day-1, respectively) than animals that received autolyzed yeast, and those that received no additive, as well as feed conversion was better for these animals. Daily and experimental carcass gains were higher for animals that received yeast culture (1.119 kg day-1, and 117.5 kg, respectively). Animals supplemented with yeast culture had greater fat thickness in the Longissimus dorsi, in the rib region, and greater subcutaneous fat gain throughout the finishing period (5.61, 6.25, and 3.04 mm, respectively). The supply of yeast culture is recommended during the finishing phase as it improves feed digestibility and promotes greater weight gain, carcass gain, and greater subcutaneous fat deposition.