The Strategic Use of an Immunomodulatory Feed Additive in Supplements for Grazing Young Nellore Bulls Transported after Weaning: Performance, Physiological, and Stress Parameters

The objective of this study was to evaluate four different feeding strategies using an immunomodulatory feed additive for newly weaned Nellore cattle, before and after road transport, on their physiological parameters performances during the growing phase pastures. In total, eighty-four young bulls (initial BW = 174 ± 11 kg; 7 1 months age) were blocked by initial body weights 42 days transport (d −42) randomly assigned one supplementation strategies. treatments were: (1) Control (CON): no (NUTRA) supplementation; (2) NUTRA pre: inclusion only in pre-transport period −42 d 0); (3) post: days, post-transport 0 42); (4) growth: whole experimental 210). On 0, calves transported dirty roads a commercial livestock trailer 200 km (8 h). There effect animal performance or plasma. However, there effects day blood sampling all parameters. highest concentration cortisol observed 3 (129 ng/mL) decreased over time (22.4 ng/mL; other hand, glucose peaked at unloading, with lower concentrations 14. Their total protein increased from 7. 10 g/100 kg BW/day did not modulate responses plasma influence