Performance and feed efficiency of beef cattle fed high energy diet with probiotic consortium technology

SUMMARY The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of probiotic consortium on feed intake, feeding behavior, feed efficiency, fecal score, weight gain and carcass traits in finishing Nellore heifers fed high energy diets in feedlot. Twenty-four Nellore heifers were distributed in 12 pens with two animals each, being six pens per treatment. In the control treatment (CON) the animals were fed exclusively with the base diet, which contained 35% corn silage and 65% concentrate. In the treatment with probiotic consortium technology (TCP), the animals received the base diet and a single dose of 75 mL/animal/day of Bio Ciclo Completo (Global Saude Brasil) top-dressed in the morning feeding. There was no period of adaptation to the diet. The experiment lasted 93 days. The use of TCP did not affect (P = 0.980) the dry matter intake. The average daily gain was 12.5% greater (P = 0.025) in the animals treated with TCP (0.941 kg/day for TCP versus 0.834 kg/day for CON). The animals that received TCP improved (P = 0.021) the feed efficiency by 12.6%. The animals that received TCP tended to have a better (P = 0.094) fecal score within the first 27 days of feedlot. There were no significant effects of TCP on the feeding behavior and carcass traits. Based on the results, there is a great potential of using TCP to improve productivity in beef cattle.