*Corresponding author. E-mail: rrsilva.uesb@hotmail.com. 

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This study aimed to evaluate the correlations between ingestive behaviour and intake of grazing cattle supplemented with or without of propolis extract (LLOS®), during the rainy season. Thirty-two uncastrated crossbred steers (269 ± 4.92 kg) about 20 month-old were used in a completely randomized design with 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments, with 8 replicates. Two levels of supplementation were used (0.3 and 0.6% of body weight, DM basis), with or without the addition of LLOS®. In the treatments with LLOS®, the extract was added daily at 2 g/kg DM supplement. The significance of the correlation coefficient was tested using the "t" test at 5% probability. The parameters evaluated were: intake, ingestive behaviour and performance of animals. The time the animals spent eating at the trough showed a positive, but weak correlation with average daily gain (ADG). For the behavioral variables studied, only the time spent ruminating and eating at the trough showed a correlation with intake and performance. The time spent ruminating was negatively correlated with DMI, NDF intake (NDFI) and TDN intake (TDNI). The feed efficiencies of DM, CP, TCH and rumination efficiencies of DM, CP, NFC and TCH showed positive and moderate correlations with NDFI. There is a correlation between the intake of nutrients, DMI, performance, and animal behaviour, and monitoring animal behaviour can be of utmost importance for the understanding of metabolic and nutritional aspects related to cattle production, and can eliminate the need for the use of invasive tests that may be stressful to animals.

Key words: Feed efficiency, rumination efficiency, average daily gain, ingestive behaviour.

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Citation: Silva ALN, Silva RR, De Carvalho GGP, Da Silva FF, Lins TOJDA, Zeoula LM, Franco SL, De Souza SO, Pereira MMS and Barroso DS (2014). Correlation between ingestive behaviour, intake and performance of grazing cattle supplemented with or without propolis extract (LLOS®). J. Agric. Crop Res. 2(1): 1-10.