Five crossbred cattle with age ranging from 24 to 36 months and mean weight of 150kg were fed a total mixture ration in which citrus pulp pellets corresponded to 40% of the daily dry mater intake. After 15 days of adaptation, the cattle received the diet containing citrus pulp for 30 days. The objective of this study was to detect possible changes caused by a diet containing citrus pulp pellets on clinical parameters such as rectal temperature, respiratory and cardiac rates, capillary perfusion time, frequency of ruminal movements, and body weight. The cattle had increased frequency of ruminal movements and gained a daily average of 860g during the experiment. All the other clinical parameters were within the normal reference values.
Bovine; citrus pulp pellet; clinical characteristics; weight gain