Glycerin and essential oils in the diet of Nellore bulls finished in feedlot: animal performance and apparent digestibility

Abstract

Current research studied the effect of partial replacing corn by glycerin and essential oils addition in the diet of Nellore bulls finished in feedlot on feed intake, animal performance and three markers were assessed to estimate apparent digestibility. Thirty bulls with average weight 400 ± 34.1 kg and 22 ± 2 months old were housed in collective pens (10 x 20 m²) for 63 days. The bulls were randomly assigned to 3 diets (10 bulls per treatment): CON – Control (without glycerin or Essential^® oils); GLY – Glycerin (15% on dry matter - DM); and GEO – Glycerin (15% on DM) and Essential^® oils (3 g animal day^-1). Three different markers were used to estimate apparent digestibility in the diets: indigestible dry matter –iDM; indigestible neutral detergent fiber – iNDF; and purified lignin – LIPE^®. Feed efficiency and animal performance were not affected by the corn partial replacing by glycerin. No effects were found in partial corn replacing by glycerin and Essential^® oils addition in the diets on the fecal output, crude protein and ether extract digestibility among the diets. The DM and OM apparent digestibility were higher for bulls fed with glycerin and Essential^® oils. The CHO digestibility was higher for CON diet. The markers iDM, iNDF and LIPE® were similarly to estimate apparent digestibility to all nutrients in the diets.