The search to find food alternatives for corn and feeding alternatives that reduce the cost of production has been constant.
The use of oleaginous grains to produce ethanol and biodiesel has produced an excess of byproducts, especially biodiesel
which produces crude glycerin. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of including crude glycerin on the
ingestive behavior of crossbred heifers supplemented with pasture. Thirty-six crossbred heifers with an initial mean weight
of 301.5 ± 31 kg were distributed in a completely randomized design with four treatments and nine replicates per treatment.
The animals were kept in a
Brachiaria brizantha
(Hochst. ex A. Rich.) Stapf ‘Marandu’ pasture in a rotational-grazing
system. The treatments tested were 0.0%, 3.33%, 6.66%, and 9.99% crude glycerin included in total DM to replace corn
(
Zea mays
L.) Including crude glycerin reduced the time for grazing and eating at the trough and increased idle time.
Rumination was quadratically influenced. Eating time (min kg
-1 DM and neutral detergent fiber [NDF]) was reduced, while
rumination time (min kg
-1 DM and NDF) was quadratically affected by adding glycerin. The variables, time spent per
ruminated bolus and the number of chews per day, were not affected. The number of boluses per day showed a quadratic
effect. The number of grazing, idle, ruminating, and eating at the trough periods were not affected by including crude
glycerin; means were 15.1, 24.9, and 13.3 and 3.71 periods d
-1, respectively. Feed and rumination efficiency (kg h
-1 DM
and NDF) increased when crude glycerin was included in the diet. Including crude glycerin promotes feed and rumination
efficiency in grazing heifers.
