EFFECT OF DIFFERENT SOURCES AND CONCENTRATIONS OF ZINC IN THE MINERAL MIXTURE ON PERFORMANCE AND SEMINAL CHARACTERISTICS OF GRAZING YOUNG BULLS

• Autor(a) principal: Oliveira, Alexandra Rocha de
• Data de Publicação: 2007
• Outros Autores: Morais, Maria da Graça, Moraes, Sheila da Silva, Fernandes, Carlos Eurico, Ítavo, Luis Carlos Vinhas, Abreu, Urbano Gomes Pinto de
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Ciência animal brasileira (Online)
• Texto Completo: https://revistas.ufg.br/vet/article/view/1687
• topic: Minerais; Semen de touros

Sixteen young Nellore bulls with approximately 26 months of age  maintained o pasture were submitted to four different supplementations of zinc in the mineral mixture: Zn-0 (without zinc); Zn 30FO (30 mg of organic Zn/Kg); Zn 30FI (30 mg of inorganic Zn/Kg) and Zn 60FI (60 mg of inorganic Zn/Kg). Mineral mixture intake was measured and it was verified that the animals of Zn-0 had higher mi-neral mixture intake than the animals of other treatments, differing statistically (P <0,05) of Zn-30FO, Zn-30FI and Zn-60FI and that the animals of Zn-60FI had the lowest intake. Animals were weighted, blood and semen were collected and complete andrological analyses were done. No statistical differences were observed (P>0,05) among treatments for weight gain. Bulls of Zn-0 showed sperma-tozoids with less motility and vigor and higher chances of having spermatozoids with head, middle piece and proximal citoplasmatic drop defects. Animals supplemented with 60 mg of inorganic Zn/Kg showed higher chances of not having head, intermediate piece and proximal citoplasmatic drop defects on spermatozoids. Different sources and concentra-tions of zinc in the mineral mixture of young bulls didn’t affect the performance on experimental conditions, but did in the seminal characteristics.KEY-WORDS: Growth, spermatozoids, inorganic zinc, organic zinc.