Physiological and behavioral changes of beef cattle after castration management

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance, physiological and temperamental parameters of uncastrated beef cattle or those submitted to surgical castration or immunocastration, in the post-castration period. The experimental period was divided into two subperiods of observations: the first 15 days post-castration (healing period) and the 25 days following healing. In the first 15 days of evaluation, the non-castrated animals obtained a greater average daily gain of weight in relation to surgically castrated. The heart rate was higher for surgically castrated animals with 126,51 beats/minute, compared to the other treatments. The distance of escape was higher for the surgically castrated steers, with a value of 12,22 meters, when compared to the other groups studied. During the next 25 days of surgical castration, the mean daily gain of weight was higher in surgically castrated cattle than in non-castrated or immunocastrated cattle. The escape velocity, in the second evaluation subperiod, was superior in the castrated cattle, in relation to the not castrated. The immediate castration period, the first 15 days, altered the mean daily gain and the total weight gain, the physiological and temperamental parameters of surgically castrated cattle, however, after the healing period, these differences diminish or disappear.