PSIX-3 Feedlot performance and rumen morphometrics of Nellore cattle differing in phenotypic residual feed intake

Abstract This study, conducted at São Paulo State University feedlot, Dracena campus, Brazil, had the objective to evaluate the effect of ranking Nellore bulls according to residual feed intake (RFI) on feedlot performance and rumen morphometric variables. Twenty-seven 18-mo-old Nellore bulls (425.5 ± 20.1 kg) were randomly allocated in 27 pens (one animal per pen) and fed for 107 days. The multiple step-up diets program consisted of ad libitum feeding of diets with the concentrate level increasing from 70% to 86% concentrate. At harvest, rumen epithelium samples were collected from cranial for rumen morphometric measurements. The RFI was calculated by the difference between the predicted DMI values [DMI = (0.0544*BW0.75) + (2.9659*ADG)] and observed DMI. Then, Nellore bulls were distributed into RFI groups: High (0.5 SD above the mean; n = 8), Medium (±0.5 SD of the mean; n=9) and Low (0.5 SD below the mean; n = 10). Low-RFI Nellore bulls improved (P = 0.04) G:F when compared to High- and Medium-RFI animals (0.142 vs. 0.125 and 0.130; respectively); however, no significant RFI grouping effect was observed for ADG (P = 0.54), final BW (P = 0.54), HCW (P = 0.27), dressing percentage (P = 0.24), final LM area (P = 0.87), final 12th rib fat (P = 0.82), final P8 fat thickness (P = 0.67) and final marbling (P = 0.82). Regarding rumen morphometrics, High-RFI Nellore bulls had larger (P = 0.09) rumen absorptive surface area than Low- and Medium-RFI animals (43.31 vs. 32.95 and 31.27; respectively), which was associated to the greater (P = 0.01) DMI presented by High-RFI animals (10.2 vs. 9.1 and 9.0 for Medium- and Low-RFI Nellore bulls; respectively). Nevertheless, no significant RFI grouping effect was observed for number of papillae (P = 0.28) or mean papillae area (P = 0.61). Thus, Low-RFI Nellore bulls improved feed efficiency without promoting any positive effects on carcass traits and rumen morphometrics.

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Residual feed intake and relationships with performance of Nellore cattle selected for post weaning weight

Revista Brasileira de Zootecnia ◽

10.1590/s1516-35982011000400030 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 40 (4) ◽

pp. 929-937 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

T. Lucila Sobrinho ◽

R.H. Branco ◽

S.F.M. Bonilha ◽

A.M. Castilhos ◽

L.A. Figueiredo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Body Weight ◽

Standard Deviation ◽

Feed Intake ◽

Average Daily Gain ◽

Residual Feed Intake ◽

Feed Conversion ◽

Relative Growth ◽

Kleiber Ratio ◽

Nellore Cattle ◽

Daily Gain

The objective of this work was to evaluate performance, efficiency parameters and phenotypic correlations among measurements of energy efficiency of Nellore cattle selected for post weaning weight and classified according to residual feed intake, calculated by the difference between observed and predicted intake, based on average metabolic body weight and average daily gain. Thus, animals were classified within three groups: high (> mean + 0.5 standard deviation, less efficient); medium (±0.5 standard deviation of the mean); and low (< mean - 0.5 standard deviation, more efficient) residual feed intake. No differences were observed at initial and final body weights, average daily gain and dry matter intake among groups. Animals with low residual feed intake also had greater feed efficiency, feed conversion and partial efficiency of growth and did not differ from the other animals regarding to relative growth rate and Kleiber ratio. Residual feed intake was significantly correlated to feed efficiency (-0.25), feed conversion (0.25), partial efficiency of growth (-0.37) and dry matter intake (0.16) but it did not present significant correlation with body weight (0.04), average daily gain (-0.02), relative growth rate (-0.03) and Kleiber ratio (-0.05). Significant correlations were found between feed conversion and initial body weight (0.34) and average daily gain (-0.46). Partial efficiency of growth presented significant correlation with all other efficiency parameters analyzed. Residual feed intake has high potential in productive efficiency, when compared to the other energy efficiency measurements, being independent of growth and size of the animals.

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Relationships between residual feed intake and feedlot performance, profitability, and carcass traits in Brahman cattle

Arquivo Brasileiro de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia ◽

10.1590/1678-4162-9526 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 70 (2) ◽

pp. 525-534 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

R. Favero ◽

I.Y. Mizubuti ◽

R.C. Gomes ◽

E.L.A. Ribeiro ◽

E.S. Pereira ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Weight Gain ◽

Feed Intake ◽

Average Daily Gain ◽

Carcass Traits ◽

Residual Feed Intake ◽

Live Weight ◽

Biceps Femoris ◽

Feedlot Performance ◽

Brahman Cattle ◽

Fat Thickness

ABSTRACT The present study aimed to evaluate the feedlot performance, profitability and carcass traits of Brahman bulls classified according to the residual feed intake (RFI). Twenty-four bulls (19-month old, 370±34kg live weight) were housed in individual pens for 54 days and had the daily feed intake (observed dry matter intake, DMIobs; DMI % live weight, LW) and average daily gain (ADG) measured. Ultrasound carcass evaluations were performed at the initial and final weighings, when measurements were taken of Longissimus dorsi area, ratio, Longissimus and Biceps femoris fat thickness. The animals were ranked and divided into high (>+0.5 standard deviation; SD), medium (between ±0.5 SD from the mean), and low (<-0.5 SD) RFI groups. Low-RFI animals had lower DMIobs (P<0.10) and DMI % LW (P<0.05). No significant differences in initial and final weight or ADG were noticed (P>0.05). Low-RFI animals showed lower weight gain cost and higher daily profit (P<0.05). Carcass traits were similar between groups, regardless of evaluation date (P>0.05). Selection for RFI lead to animals with lower feed intake without affecting weight gain or carcass traits, thereby providing increased profitability for beef cattle farming.

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Body composition and implications for heat production of Angus steer progeny of parents selected for and against residual feed intake

Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture ◽

10.1071/ea00095 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 41 (7) ◽

pp. 1065 ◽

Cited By ~ 71

Author(s):

E. C. Richardson ◽

R. M. Herd ◽

V. H. Oddy ◽

J. M. Thompson ◽

J. A. Archer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Body Composition ◽

Chemical Analysis ◽

Feed Intake ◽

High Efficiency ◽

Residual Feed Intake ◽

Whole Body ◽

Lower Efficiency ◽

Fat Depots ◽

The Difference ◽

Low Efficiency

Yearling Angus steer progeny of parents selected for low residual feed intake (RFI; high efficiency) or high RFI (low efficiency) were evaluated for feed intake, growth and differences in body composition. RFI is the difference between actual feed intake and expected feed intake based on an animal’s size and growth over a test period. Individual intakes of a high grain content ration and growth rates were recorded for 140 days and then the steers were slaughtered for measurement of body composition. All internal organs and non-carcass fat depots were removed, weighed and ground for chemical analysis. Carcasses were kept overnight in the chiller and the left half of every carcass physically dissected into retail cuts, and then into total fat, lean and bone. Carcass fat and lean were then combined and ground for chemical analysis. Steers from low RFI parents ate less (P<0.05) than the steers from high RFI parents, for similar rates of growth. Improvement in RFI was accompanied by small changes in body composition towards greater lean and less fat in the progeny of low RFI parents. Correlations of sire estimated breeding values for RFI with end of test whole body chemical protein, chemical fat and a principal component that condensed information on fat and lean body composition at the end of the test, were statistically significant. These confirmed there was a genetic association between body composition and RFI, with fatness being associated with higher RFI (i.e. lower efficiency). However, the correlations were small and suggested that less than 5% of the variation in sire RFI was explained by variation in body composition of their steer progeny. There was no evidence that a difference in the chemical composition of gain over the test explained the greater intake of metabolisable energy (ME) by the high RFI steers. The results suggest that the difference in ME intake following a single generation of divergent selection for RFI was due to metabolic processes rather than to changes in body composition.

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Genome-wide association analysis of feed intake and residual feed intake in Nellore cattle

BMC Genetics ◽

10.1186/1471-2156-15-21 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 15 (1) ◽

pp. 21 ◽

Cited By ~ 42

Author(s):

Miguel HA Santana ◽

Yuri T Utsunomiya ◽

Haroldo HR Neves ◽

Rodrigo C Gomes ◽

José F Garcia ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Association Analysis ◽

Feed Intake ◽

Residual Feed Intake ◽

Genome Wide Association ◽

Genome Wide Association Analysis ◽

Genome Wide ◽

Nellore Cattle

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Residual feed intake, carcass traits and meat quality in Nellore cattle

Meat Science ◽

10.1016/j.meatsci.2017.02.004 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 128 ◽

pp. 34-39 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

H.A. Fidelis ◽

S.F.M. Bonilha ◽

L.O. Tedeschi ◽

R.H. Branco ◽

J.N.S.G. Cyrillo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Meat Quality ◽

Feed Intake ◽

Carcass Traits ◽

Residual Feed Intake ◽

Nellore Cattle

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Ingestive behavior and temperament of Nellore cattle classified for residual feed intake

Semina Ciências Agrárias ◽

10.5433/1679-0359.2019v40n1p457 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 40 (1) ◽

pp. 457 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Julian Aldrighi ◽

Renata Helena Branco ◽

Joslaine Noely dos Santos Gonçalves Cyrillo ◽

Elaine Magnani ◽

Cleisy Ferreira do Nascimento ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Feed Intake ◽

Feed Efficiency ◽

High Efficiency ◽

Residual Feed Intake ◽

Serum Cortisol ◽

Individual Performance ◽

Flight Speed ◽

Ingestive Behavior ◽

Composite Score ◽

Nellore Cattle

The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between ingestive behavior, temperament and residual feed intake (RFI) in Nellore cattle. Sixty-two bulls and 56 heifers after weaning, housed in individual pens, were evaluated in individual performance tests. Animals were classified as low RFI ( 0.135 kg day-1; greater than mean plus 0.5 standard deviation). Ingestive behavior was evaluated for 24 h by direct observation, every 24 days in bulls or every 10 days in heifers. Temperament was assessed by flight speed, reactivity in mobile confinement, composite score, and serum cortisol measurement. The most efficient animals (low RFI, 5.6 kg DM day-1) consumed 7% less feed than animals with medium efficiency (mean RFI, 6.0 kg DM day-1) and 13% less than the least efficient animals (high RFI, 6.34 kg DM day-1). More feed efficient animals spent a longer time feeding and ruminating per kg of DM consumed. Similarly, more efficient animals consumed less DM per hour and ruminated less DM per hour, but made the same number of visits to the feed bunk. High-efficiency animals were 13% and 35% faster to walk 1.77 m after release from the scale than medium- and low-efficiency animals, respectively, suggesting a more reactive temperament without differences in reactivity, composite score, or serum cortisol. Feed efficiency is associated with ingestive behavior and temperament in Nellore cattle. More efficient animals consume and ruminate less feed over the same period of time than animals with medium and low feed efficiency. In addition, more efficient animals exhibit a faster flight speed and are more reactive than less efficient animals.

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Divergent breeding values for fatness or residual feed intake in Angus cattle. 4. Fat EBVs’ influence on fatness fluctuation and supplementary feeding requirements

Animal Production Science ◽

10.1071/an14797 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 58 (1) ◽

pp. 67

Author(s):

J. M. Accioly ◽

K. J. Copping ◽

M. P. B. Deland ◽

M. L. Hebart ◽

R. M. Herd ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Feed Intake ◽

Residual Feed Intake ◽

Supplementary Feeding ◽

Genetic Line ◽

High Fat ◽

Low Fat ◽

Breeding Values ◽

Angus Cattle ◽

The Difference ◽

Supplementary Feed

The productivity of 500 Angus cows, divergently selected for either rib fat or residual feed intake (RFI) based on BREEDPLAN estimated breeding values (EBVs) and managed under two levels of nutrition (stocking rates), was evaluated. The study examined the effects of genetic line, nutrition and weaning history on profiles for weight, rib fat depth, fatness (rib fat depth adjusted for weight) and supplementary feed requirements from just before the first joining as heifers through to the weaning of their third calf. Cows gained both weight and fat as they grew older. Observed fluctuations in weight and rib fat depth, within each year, were associated with pasture availability and physiological demands. Cows that did not wean a calf in a given year became heavier and fatter than cows that did; and they remained so when they calved the following year. High-fat and High-RFI were always fatter and lighter than Low-fat and Low-RFI cows, respectively. The difference in rib fat and fatness between High- and Low-RFI lines (P < 0.001) was similar to, although slightly greater than, the difference between High- and Low-fat lines (P = 0.048) reflecting differences in rib fat EBVs between High-RFI (3.2 ± 1.47) and Low-RFI (–0.7 ± 1.3) compared with High-fat (1.1 ± 0.78) and Low-fat (–1.4 ± 0.67). Cows on High-Nutrition were heavier and fatter than those on Low-Nutrition (P < 0.001) but there were no significant interactions between genetic line and nutrition (P > 0.05). Supplementary feeding threshold was reached earlier by Low-fat and Low-RFI cows than their counterparts. Calculations based on the data in the present paper estimate that if cows lose condition at a rapid rate (1 condition score/month), then a cow with an extra 1 mm rib fat EBV would take 7.5 days longer to reach the same supplementary feeding threshold. Fat EBVs can, therefore, be a useful tool in assisting beef producers to match genotype to their production system.

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Gene expression differences in Longissimus muscle of Nelore steers genetically divergent for residual feed intake

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/srep39493 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

Polyana C. Tizioto ◽

Luiz L. Coutinho ◽

Priscila S. N. Oliveira ◽

Aline S. M. Cesar ◽

Wellison J. S. Diniz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Feed Intake ◽

Production Systems ◽

Residual Feed Intake ◽

Stress Genes ◽

New Genes ◽

Differential Gene ◽

The Difference ◽

Metabolism Of Xenobiotics ◽

Antioxidant Mechanisms

Abstract Residual feed intake (RFI), a measure of feed efficiency (FE), is defined as the difference between the observed and the predictable feed intake considering size and growth of the animal. It is extremely important to beef production systems due to its impact on the allocation of land areas to alternative agricultural production, animal methane emissions, food demand and cost of production. Global differential gene expression analysis between high and low RFI groups (HRFI and LRFI: less and more efficient, respectively) revealed 73 differentially expressed (DE) annotated genes in Longissimus thoracis (LT) muscle of Nelore steers. These genes are involved in the overrepresented pathways Metabolism of Xenobiotics by Cytochrome P450 and Butanoate and Tryptophan Metabolism. Among the DE transcripts were several proteins related to mitochondrial function and the metabolism of lipids. Our findings indicate that observed gene expression differences are primarily related to metabolic processes underlying oxidative stress. Genes involved in the metabolism of xenobiotics and antioxidant mechanisms were primarily down-regulated, while genes responsible for lipid oxidation and ketogenesis were up-regulated in HRFI group. By using LT muscle, this study reinforces our previous findings using liver tissue and reveals new genes and likely tissue-specific regulators playing key-roles in these processes.

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Using genes differentially expressed in bulls to classify steers divergently selected for high and low residual feed intake

Animal Production Science ◽

10.1071/an11266 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 52 (7) ◽

pp. 608 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Y. Chen ◽

P. F. Arthur ◽

R. M. Herd ◽

K. Quinn ◽

I. M. Barchia

Keyword(s):

Real Time ◽

Feed Intake ◽

Real Time Pcr ◽

Calcium Binding ◽

Correlation Coefficients ◽

Residual Feed Intake ◽

Differentially Expressed ◽

Quantitative Real Time Pcr ◽

The Difference ◽

Estimated Breeding Values

Feed efficiency is an economically important trait in livestock and residual feed intake (RFI) is a commonly used measure of the trait in beef cattle. Residual feed intake is the difference between the actual feed intake recorded over a test period and the expected feed intake of an animal based on its size and growth rate. It is a heritable trait, and efficient animals have lower RFI values. Several genes have been identified as being differentially expressed in the liver of Angus bulls that have been divergently selected for RFI. The objective of this study was to use genes that are differentially expressed in bulls to classify Angus steers from the same divergent RFI selection lines. Liver samples were collected at slaughter from 40 high RFI and 40 low RFI steers that were ~23 months old, and had just completed a 251-day feedlot feeding period. RNA samples from the livers were assayed by quantitative real-time PCR for 14 genes, which have been identified previously in bulls. Steers were not measured for RFI, hence the estimated breeding values (EBV) for RFI of their parents were used to calculate their mid-parent (average of the two parents) RFI-EBV. Correlation and discriminant analyses were conducted on the normalised quantitative real-time PCR data from the steers. Discriminant analysis was also conducted on the bull data for comparison. In the steers, 8 out of the 14 genes were significantly (P < 0.05) correlated with RFI-EBV. Two genes from the glutathione S-transferase mu family (GSTM1 and GSTM2) and the S100 calcium-binding protein A10 (S100A10) had the highest correlations with RFI-EBV, with correlation coefficients of 0.59, 0.44 and 0.36, respectively. Based on the 14 expressed genes, 84% of the steers and 98% of the bulls were correctly classified into their respective RFI selection lines. The results of this study indicate that a high proportion of the genes that were differentially expressed in the original study with bulls were also differentially expressed in this study with steers. The high accuracy in classification obtained in this study shows that the transcriptional approach to the study of the biological processes involved in variation in RFI has great potential for identification of candidate genes.

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