Feeding method for relieving stress of long-distance transportation of cattle

Abstract

The present application belongs to the technical field of feeding management, and particularly relates to a feeding method for relieving stress reaction of long-distance transportation of cattle. The present application realizes the purpose of the present application by feeding the cattle in need of long-distance transportation in the early stage and feeding the cattle with special feeding scheme during and after transportation. The present application is mainly realized by a new idea of compounding herbaceous plants and pasture with high safety factor. It is found through experiments that the herbaceous plants and pasture combined as the feed of the cattle during long-distance transportation can effectively relieve the stress reaction of long-distance transportation of beef cattle.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of feeding and management technology, and specifically relates to a feeding method for alleviating stress response in cattle during long-distance transportation. [Background Technology]

[0002] In livestock production, the demand for breeding stock, external purchases, and off-site fattening makes long-distance animal transportation quite common. During transportation, unavoidable factors such as vehicle bumps, noise, and ambient temperature severely affect the animals' normal rest, causing transportation stress and impacting their health. my country's beef cattle industry exhibits phenomena such as "breeding in the north and raising in the south," "transferring cattle from the north to the south," and "off-site fattening," with a large number of feeder cattle being transported from the north to the south for fattening each year.

[0003] However, long-distance transportation inevitably causes stress reactions that negatively impact cattle. Current common methods include ensuring cattle are healthy before transport through necessary health checks and vaccinations; proper loading; environmental control; minimizing jostling; health monitoring; providing an appropriate acclimatization period upon arrival at the destination to gradually transition the cattle to the new feeding environment and feed; and disease prevention.

[0004] Currently, existing technologies utilize anti-stress drugs and antibiotics to reduce transportation stress in cattle, but there is no use of compound feed to improve cattle's stress resistance. *Gnaphalium affine* is a common herbaceous plant in Guangxi; its utilization could significantly improve the utilization rate and economic value of herbaceous plants. [Summary of the Invention]

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a feeding method to alleviate stress response in cattle during long-distance transportation. By feeding cattle with the compound feed researched by the inventors before, during, and after transportation, the stress response during long-distance transportation in cattle can be effectively reduced.

[0006] A feeding method to alleviate stress in cattle during long-distance transportation includes the following steps:

[0007] (1) Ten days before long-distance transport, begin the following feeding:

[0008] 1) Feeding: Feed the cattle according to feed I, which consists of 5-10 parts of windmill grass, 5-10 parts of elephant grass, 5-15 parts of alfalfa, and 100-120 parts of supplementary feed, at a rate of 3%-4% of the cattle's body weight.

[0009] 2) Health Management: Allow the animals to run freely for 1-2 hours daily, and provide them with music for relaxation in the feeding shed for 1-2 hours daily.

[0010] 3) Cattle shed management: The cattle shed is equipped with a biological bedding bed, which consists of a straw layer, a microbial powder layer, and a straw layer from top to bottom; the humidity in the cattle shed is controlled at 40% and the temperature at 24-25℃;

[0011] (2) For long-distance transportation lasting 1-7 days, the following care should be provided:

[0012] S1. On the first day, feed the cattle a small amount of feed I at a rate of 0.5%-1% of their body weight. Provide them with small amounts of water frequently. Half an hour after the cattle have consumed feed I, feed them 2kg / head of feed made by mixing 20g of Bacillus subtilis, 4g of Astragalus polysaccharide, and 6g of electrolyte multivitamins into 2kg of warm water.

[0013] S2. On days 2-4, gradually increase the amount of feed I given to the cattle, feeding at a rate of 1%-2.5% of their body weight, and increasing the amount of feed I by 0.25g / head each day. Half an hour after the cattle eat feed I, feed them 2kg / head of physiological saline.

[0014] (4) S3. Feed the cattle with feed I on days 5-7, at a rate of 2.5%-3% of their body weight. Half an hour after the cattle have eaten feed I, feed them 2 kg of physiological saline per head.

[0015] (3) After the cattle arrive at the destination farm after long-distance transportation, the following care should be provided:

[0016] S1. After the cattle rest for 3 hours, feed them 2kg / head of feed made by mixing 20g of Bacillus subtilis, 4g of Astragalus polysaccharide, and 6g of electrolyte multivitamins into 2kg of warm water. After resting for another 2 hours, feed them feed I at a rate of 0.5%-1% of their body weight.

[0017] S2. On days 2-4, gradually increase the amount of feed I given to the cattle, feeding at a rate of 1%-2.5% of their body weight, and increase the amount of feed I by 0.25 kg per head each day. Half an hour after the cattle eat feed I, feed them 2 kg of physiological saline per head.

[0018] S3. Feed the cattle with feed I on days 5-7, at a rate of 2.5%-3% of their body weight. Half an hour after the cattle have eaten feed I, feed them 2 kg of physiological saline per head.

[0019] S4. Feed feed I at a rate of 3%-4% of the cattle's body weight from day 8 to day 15, with free access to water. Transition to conventional feeding on day 16.

[0020] To further explain, the feed I is composed of 5-10 parts by weight of *Gnaphalium affine*, 5-10 parts of elephant grass, 5-15 parts of alfalfa, and 100-120 parts of supplementary ingredients. The supplementary ingredients consist of the following components by weight percentage: 55% corn, 25% wheat bran, 15% soybean meal, 1.0% limestone powder, 1.0% sodium chloride, 0.5% dicalcium phosphate, 0.5% copper sulfate, 0.5% vitamin A, 0.5% vitamin E, 0.5% vitamin D, and 0.5% lysine.

[0021] To further explain, the long-distance transportation is carried out using a transport container, which is a water-spraying transport container with a self-spraying function to control the humidity inside the transport container at 45%.

[0022] To further explain, the *Gnaphalium affine* mentioned refers to the whole plant. After washing and cutting it into 2-3cm sections, it is put into a mixer and stirred at 10-20 rpm / min for 5-10 minutes. Then, *Lactobacillus casei* is added at 0.05% of the total mass of the *Gnaphalium affine* and the mixture is left to ferment in the dark for 10-15 days.

[0023] To further explain, the elephant grass has undergone pretreatment: the elephant grass is cut into 2-3cm lengths, subjected to high-pressure rollers 3 times, and mixed with 0.1% Aspergillus oryzae by weight of the total elephant grass for 10-12 days of composting.

[0024] To further explain, the alfalfa underwent pretreatment, which was carried out as follows: the alfalfa was chopped into 2-3 cm lengths, treated twice by a high-pressure roller mill, and 0.1% lactic acid bacteria and 0.05% cellulase (based on the total mass of alfalfa) were added. The mixture was then thoroughly mixed, compacted, sealed, and ensiled for 60 days in the dark.

[0025] The present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0026] This application studies the use of *Gnaphalium affine* herbaceous plant combined with forage to prepare feed for cattle during long-distance transportation. The main focus is on the utilization of *Gnaphalium affine* herbaceous plant. Through various pretreatment experiments, the results show that pre-fermenting *Gnaphalium affine* with *Lactobacillus casei* effectively reduces stress and disease in cattle during transportation, effectively regulates physiological functions, and significantly improves immunity. Furthermore, the optimal amount of *Gnaphalium affine* herbaceous plant added was found to be 1 / 30 to 1 / 12 of the plant's original volume. The feed in this application does not contain any chemical additives and has better safety compared to stress-inducing drugs and antibiotics.

Detailed Implementation Methods

[0027] All features disclosed in this specification, or all steps in all disclosed methods or processes, may be combined in any way, except for mutually exclusive features and / or steps.

[0028] Unless otherwise stated, each feature disclosed in this specification (including any appended claims and abstract) is merely one example of a series of equivalent or similar features.

[0029] Example 1:

[0030] This embodiment is an experiment investigating the stress response and disease phenomena of cattle fed a compound feed composed of windmill cabbage, elephant grass, alfalfa, and supplementary feed before long-distance transportation for 7 days.

[0031] Ten days before long-distance transportation, start feeding the animal at a rate of 4% of its body weight: 1 part windmill grass, 10 parts elephant grass, 15 parts alfalfa, and 120 parts supplementary feed.

[0032] Ten days before long-distance transportation, start feeding feed 2 at a rate of 4% of body weight: 8 parts windmill grass, 8 parts elephant grass, 10 parts alfalfa, and 110 parts supplementary feed.

[0033] Ten days before long-distance transportation, start feeding feed at a rate of 4% of body weight: 3 is composed of 10 parts windmill grass, 5 parts elephant grass, 5 parts alfalfa, and 100 parts supplementary feed.

[0034] Ten days before long-distance transportation, feed 4 at a rate of 4% of body weight: 5 parts windmill grass, 15 parts elephant grass, 20 parts alfalfa, and 130 parts supplementary feed.

[0035] Ten days before long-distance transportation, start feeding the animal at a rate of 4% of its body weight. The feed consists of 12 parts of windmill grass, 5 parts of elephant grass, 5 parts of alfalfa, and 100 parts of supplementary feed.

[0036] For feeds 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 above, use the whole plant of *Gnaphalium affine*. Wash it, cut it into 2cm sections, and then put it into a mixer and mix at 10-20 rpm / min for 5-10 minutes. Add *Lactobacillus casei* at 0.05% of the total mass of *Gnaphalium affine* and mix it in the dark for 15 days. For *Elephant grass* and alfalfa, mix them together, cut them into 2cm sections, and use a high-pressure roller mill to press them through 3 times. Add 0.1% of the total mass of lactic acid bacteria and mix them together for 15 days of fermentation.

[0037] Sixty healthy beef cattle weighing around 300 catties were selected and randomly divided into 6 groups. They were transported over a long distance for 7 days. Groups 1-5 of the experiment were fed the same five groups of feed as described above, and a blank control group (only supplementary feed was used, which was counted as feed 6).

[0038] During the first 1-7 days of transport, the six experimental groups were fed the same feed as described below, except that the feeds were feed 1, feed 2, feed 3, feed 4, feed 5 and feed 6 respectively.

[0039] On the first day of transportation, feed the cattle a small amount of feed I at a rate of 0.5% of their body weight. Provide them with small amounts of water multiple times. Half an hour after the cattle have consumed feed I, feed them 2kg / head of feed made by mixing 20g of Bacillus subtilis, 4g of Astragalus polysaccharide, and 6g of electrolyte multivitamins with 2kg of warm water.

[0040] On days 2-4 of transportation, gradually increase the amount of feed I given to the cattle, feeding at 1% of their body weight and increasing by 0.25 kg / head of feed I each day. Half an hour after the cattle eat feed I, feed them 2 kg / head of physiological saline.

[0041] Feed the cattle with feed I on days 5-7 of transport, at a rate of 2.5% of their body weight. Half an hour after feeding the cattle with feed I, administer 2 kg of physiological saline per head.

[0042] For details on the implementation and the observation of cattle's emergency response during transportation, please refer to Table 1.

[0043] Table 1

[0044]

[0045]

[0046] Table 1 shows that the most common feed is forage grass, such as elephant grass and alfalfa. However, the research team previously proposed adding *Gnaphalium affine* as a feed. The data in Table 1 shows that feed with added *Gnaphalium affine*, when scientifically formulated and mixed according to mass ratio within a specified range, significantly reduced stress in cattle during transport. However, research on the amount added revealed that the effect was poor when the amount of *Gnaphalium affine* was greater than 8.33% or less than 3.33% of the total feed mass. This phenomenon requires further verification to determine if it is related to the content of certain substances in *Gnaphalium affine*.

[0047] Example 2:

[0048] A feeding method to alleviate stress response in cattle during long-distance transportation includes the following steps:

[0049] (1) Ten days before long-distance transport, begin the following feeding:

[0050] 1) Feeding: Feed the cattle according to feed I, which consists of 5 parts of windmill grass, 10 parts of elephant grass, 15 parts of alfalfa and 120 parts of supplementary feed, and feed at a rate of 3% of the cattle's body weight.

[0051] 2) Health Management: Free-range running for 1 hour daily, and relaxation with music played in the feeding shed for 1 hour daily;

[0052] 3) Cattle shed management: The cattle shed is equipped with a biological bedding bed, which consists of a straw layer, a microbial powder layer, and a straw layer from top to bottom; the humidity in the cattle shed is controlled at 40% and the temperature at 24℃;

[0053] (2) For long-distance transportation lasting 1-7 days, the following care should be provided:

[0054] S1. On the first day, feed the cattle a small amount of feed I at a rate of 0.5% of their body weight. Provide them with small amounts of water multiple times. Half an hour after each feeding of feed I, feed them 2kg / head of feed made by mixing 20g of Bacillus subtilis, 4g of Astragalus polysaccharide, and 6g of electrolyte multivitamins with 2kg of warm water.

[0055] S2. On days 2-4, gradually increase the amount of feed I given to the cattle, feeding at 1% of their body weight, and increase the amount of feed I by 0.25 kg per head each day. Half an hour after the cattle eat feed I, feed them 2 kg of physiological saline per head.

[0056] S3. Feed the cattle with feed I on days 5-7, at a rate of 2.5% of their body weight. Half an hour after feeding the cattle with feed I, feed them 2 kg of physiological saline per head.

[0057] (3) After the cattle arrive at the destination farm after long-distance transportation, the following care should be provided:

[0058] S1. After the cattle rest for 3 hours, feed them 2kg / head of feed made by mixing 20g of Bacillus subtilis, 4g of Astragalus polysaccharide, and 6g of electrolyte multivitamins into 2kg of warm water. After resting for another 2 hours, feed them feed I at a rate of 0.5% of their body weight.

[0059] S2. On days 2-4, gradually increase the amount of feed I given to the cattle, feeding at 1% of their body weight, and increase the amount of feed I by 0.25 kg per head each day. Half an hour after the cattle eat feed I, feed them 2 kg of physiological saline per head.

[0060] S3. Feed the cattle with feed I on days 5-7, at a rate of 2.5% of their body weight. Half an hour after feeding the cattle with feed I, feed them 2 kg of physiological saline per head.

[0061] S4. Feed feed I at a rate of 3% of the cattle's body weight from day 8 to day 15, with free access to water. Transition to conventional feeding on day 16.

[0062] The above-mentioned auxiliary materials are composed of the following components by weight percentage: corn 55%, wheat bran 25%, soybean meal 15%, limestone powder 1.0%, sodium chloride 1.0%, dicalcium phosphate 0.5%, copper sulfate 0.5%, vitamin A 0.5%, vitamin E 0.5%, vitamin D 0.5%, and lysine 0.5%. Long-distance transportation is carried out using transport containers equipped with self-spraying water spraying function to control the humidity inside the transport containers at 45%.

[0063] The whole plant of *Gnaphalium affine* should be washed, cut into 2cm sections, and then put into a blender and blend at 10 rpm / min for 5 minutes. Add *Lactobacillus casei* at 0.05% of the total mass of the *Gnaphalium affine* and mix and compost in the dark for 15 days.

[0064] The elephant grass also undergoes pretreatment: the elephant grass is cut into 2cm lengths, subjected to high-pressure rollers three times, and mixed with 0.1% Aspergillus oryzae by weight of the total elephant grass for 10 days of fermentation.

[0065] The alfalfa was pretreated as follows: the alfalfa was chopped into 2cm pieces, treated twice with a high-pressure roller mill, and 0.1% lactic acid bacteria and 0.05% cellulase (based on the total mass of alfalfa) were added. The mixture was then compacted, sealed, and ensiled for 60 days in the dark.

[0066] Example 3:

[0067] A feeding method to alleviate stress in cattle during long-distance transportation includes the following steps:

[0068] (1) Ten days before long-distance transport, begin the following feeding:

[0069] 1) Feeding: Feed the cattle according to feed I, which consists of 8 parts of windmill grass, 8 parts of elephant grass, 10 parts of alfalfa, and 110 parts of supplementary feed, at a rate of 4% of the cattle's body weight.

[0070] 2) Health Management: Allow the animals to run freely for 2 hours every day, and provide them with music to relax in the feeding shed for 2 hours every day;

[0071] 3) Cattle shed management: The cattle shed is equipped with a biological bedding bed, which consists of a straw layer, a microbial powder layer, and a straw layer from top to bottom; the humidity in the cattle shed is controlled at 40% and the temperature at 25℃;

[0072] (2) For long-distance transportation lasting 1-7 days, the following care should be provided:

[0073] S1. On the first day, feed the cattle a small amount of feed I at 1% of their body weight. Give them small amounts of water several times. Half an hour after each feeding, feed them 2kg / head of feed consisting of 20g Bacillus subtilis, 4g Astragalus polysaccharide, and 6g electrolyte multivitamins mixed with 2kg of warm water.

[0074] S2. On days 2-4, gradually increase the amount of feed I given to the cattle, feeding at 2.5% of their body weight, and increase the amount of feed I by 0.25 kg per head each day. Half an hour after the cattle eat feed I, feed them 2 kg of physiological saline per head.

[0075] S3. Feed the cattle with feed I on days 5-7, at a rate of 3% of their body weight. Half an hour after the cattle have eaten feed I, feed them 2 kg of physiological saline per head.

[0076] (3) After the cattle arrive at the destination farm after long-distance transportation, the following care should be provided:

[0077] S1. After the cattle rest for 3 hours, feed them 2kg / head of feed made by mixing 20g of Bacillus subtilis, 4g of Astragalus polysaccharide and 6g of electrolyte multivitamins into 2kg of warm water. After resting for another 2 hours, feed them feed I at 1% of their body weight.

[0078] S2. On days 2-4, gradually increase the amount of feed I given to the cattle, feeding at 2.5% of their body weight, and increase the amount of feed I by 0.25 kg per head each day. Half an hour after the cattle eat feed I, feed them 2 kg of physiological saline per head.

[0079] S3. Feed the cattle with feed I on days 5-7, at a rate of 3% of their body weight. Half an hour after the cattle have eaten feed I, feed them 2 kg of physiological saline per head.

[0080] S4. Feed feed I at a rate of 4% of the cattle's body weight from day 8 to day 15, with free access to water. Transition to conventional feeding on day 16.

[0081] The above-mentioned auxiliary materials are composed of the following components by weight percentage: corn 55%, wheat bran 25%, soybean meal 15%, limestone powder 1.0%, sodium chloride 1.0%, dicalcium phosphate 0.5%, copper sulfate 0.5%, vitamin A 0.5%, vitamin E 0.5%, vitamin D 0.5%, and lysine 0.5%. Long-distance transportation is carried out using transport containers equipped with self-spraying water spraying function to control the humidity inside the transport containers at 45%.

[0082] The whole plant of *Gnaphalium affine* should be washed, cut into 3cm sections, and then put into a blender and blend at 20 rpm for 10 minutes. Add *Lactobacillus casei* at 0.05% of the total mass of the *Gnaphalium affine* and mix and compost in the dark for 15 days.

[0083] The elephant grass also undergoes pretreatment: the elephant grass is cut into 3cm lengths, subjected to high-pressure rollers three times, and mixed with 0.1% Aspergillus oryzae by weight of the total elephant grass for 12 days of fermentation.

[0084] The alfalfa was pretreated as follows: the alfalfa was chopped into 3cm pieces, treated twice with a high-pressure roller mill, and 0.1% lactic acid bacteria and 0.05% cellulase (based on the total mass of alfalfa) were added. The mixture was then compacted, sealed, and ensiled for 60 days in the dark.

[0085] Example 4:

[0086] A feeding method to alleviate stress in cattle during long-distance transportation includes the following steps:

[0087] (1) Ten days before long-distance transport, begin the following feeding:

[0088] 1) Feeding: Feed the cattle according to feed I, which consists of 10 parts of windmill grass, 5 parts of elephant grass, 5 parts of alfalfa, and 100 parts of supplementary feed, and feed at a rate of 3.5% of the cattle's body weight.

[0089] 2) Health Management: Free-range running for 2 hours daily, and relaxation with music played in the feeding shed for 1 hour daily;

[0090] 3) Cattle shed management: The cattle shed is equipped with a biological bedding bed, which consists of a straw layer, a microbial powder layer, and a straw layer from top to bottom; the humidity in the cattle shed is controlled at 40% and the temperature at 25℃;

[0091] (2) For long-distance transportation lasting 1-7 days, the following care should be provided:

[0092] S1. On the first day, feed the cattle a small amount of feed I at a rate of 0.8% of their body weight. Provide them with small amounts of water multiple times. Half an hour after each feeding of feed I, feed them 2kg / head of feed made by mixing 20g of Bacillus subtilis, 4g of Astragalus polysaccharide, and 6g of electrolyte multivitamins with 2kg of warm water.

[0093] S2. On days 2-4, gradually increase the amount of feed I given to the cattle, feeding at a rate of 2.0% of their body weight, and increase the amount of feed I by 0.25 kg per head each day. Half an hour after the cattle eat feed I, feed them 2 kg of physiological saline per head.

[0094] S3. Feed the cattle with feed I on days 5-7, at a rate of 2.5% of their body weight. Half an hour after feeding the cattle with feed I, feed them 2 kg of physiological saline per head.

[0095] (3) After the cattle arrive at the destination farm after long-distance transportation, the following care should be provided:

[0096] S1. After the cattle rest for 3 hours, feed them 2kg / head of feed made by mixing 20g of Bacillus subtilis, 4g of Astragalus polysaccharide, and 6g of electrolyte multivitamins into 2kg of warm water. After resting for another 2 hours, feed them feed I at a rate of 0.8% of their body weight.

[0097] S2. On days 2-4, gradually increase the amount of feed I given to the cattle, feeding at a rate of 2.0% of their body weight, and increase the amount of feed I by 0.25 kg per head each day. Half an hour after the cattle eat feed I, feed them 2 kg of physiological saline per head.

[0098] S3. Feed the cattle with feed I on days 5-7, at a rate of 2.5% of their body weight. Half an hour after feeding the cattle with feed I, feed them 2 kg of physiological saline per head.

[0099] S4. Feed feed I at a rate of 3.5% of the cattle's body weight from day 8 to day 15, with free access to water. Transition to conventional feeding on day 16.

[0100] The above-mentioned auxiliary materials are composed of the following components by weight percentage: corn 55%, wheat bran 25%, soybean meal 15%, limestone powder 1.0%, sodium chloride 1.0%, dicalcium phosphate 0.5%, copper sulfate 0.5%, vitamin A 0.5%, vitamin E 0.5%, vitamin D 0.5%, and lysine 0.5%. Long-distance transportation is carried out using transport containers equipped with self-spraying water spraying function to control the humidity inside the transport containers at 45%.

[0101] The whole plant of *Gnaphalium affine* should be washed, cut into 2cm sections, and then put into a blender and blend at 15 rpm for 8 minutes. Add *Lactobacillus casei* at 0.05% of the total mass of the *Gnaphalium affine* and mix and compost in the dark for 12 days.

[0102] The elephant grass also undergoes pretreatment: the elephant grass is cut into 3cm lengths, subjected to high-pressure rollers three times, and mixed with 0.1% Aspergillus oryzae by weight of the total elephant grass for 11 days of fermentation.

[0103] The alfalfa was pretreated as follows: the alfalfa was chopped into 3cm pieces, treated twice with a high-pressure roller mill, and 0.1% lactic acid bacteria and 0.05% cellulase (based on the total mass of alfalfa) were added. The mixture was then compacted, sealed, and ensiled for 60 days in the dark.

[0104] Example 5:

[0105] A feeding method to alleviate stress response in cattle during long-distance transportation is basically the same as that in Example 4. The difference is that the pretreatment of the Chinese artichoke is different: the whole plant is washed, cut into 2cm sections, and then put into a mixer and stirred at 15rpm / min for 8min. Lactic acid bacteria are added at 0.05% of the total mass of the Chinese artichoke and mixed and composted in the dark for 12 days.

[0106] Example 6:

[0107] A feeding method to alleviate stress response in cattle during long-distance transportation is basically the same as that in Example 4. The difference is that the pretreatment of *Gnaphalium affine* is different: the whole plant is washed, cut into 2cm sections, and then put into a mixer and stirred at 15rpm / min for 8min. Then, *Aspergillus oryzae* is added at 0.05% of the total mass of the *Gnaphalium affine* and mixed and composted in the dark for 12 days.

[0108] Example 7:

[0109] A feeding method to alleviate stress response in cattle during long-distance transportation is basically the same as that in Example 4. The difference is that the pretreatment of *Gnaphalium affine* is different: the whole plant is washed, cut into 2cm sections, treated twice with a high-pressure roller mill, then put into a mixer and stirred at 15 rpm / min for 8 minutes. *Aspergillus oryzae* is added at 0.05% of the total mass of the *Gnaphalium affine*, and the mixture is piled up in the dark for 12 days.

[0110] 210 healthy beef cattle weighing approximately 300 catties were selected and randomly divided into three batches. The first batch of 70 cattle was randomly distributed into groups of 10 according to Examples 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and the control group, and transported over a long distance for 2 days. The second batch of 70 cattle was randomly distributed into groups of 10 according to Examples 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and the control group, and transported over a long distance for 5 days. The third batch of 70 cattle was randomly distributed into groups of 10 according to Examples 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and the control group, and transported over a long distance for 7 days. The transportation was carried out according to the schemes of Examples 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and the control group (the feed consisted of the following weight percentages: corn 55%, wheat bran 25%, soybean meal 15%, limestone powder 1.0%, sodium chloride 1.0%, dicalcium phosphate 0.5%, copper sulfate 0.5%, vitamin A 0.5%, vitamin E 0.5%, vitamin D 0.5%, lysine 0.5%, and other components were the same as in Example 4).

[0111] The condition of the cattle was observed throughout the transportation process; see Table 2 for details.

[0112] Table 2

[0113]

[0114]

[0115] Table 2 shows that, considering the different methods of adding and pre-treating *Gnaphalium affine* to the feed, adding pre-treated *Gnaphalium affine* significantly alleviated the stress of long-distance transportation for cattle. Furthermore, adding *Gnaphalium affine* fermented with *Lactobacillus casei* to the feed was more effective in reducing stress and disease symptoms during long-distance transportation than adding *Aspergillus oryzae* and lactic acid bacteria (common fermentation bacteria in forage). This may be because certain components in *Gnaphalium affine* more effectively promote the production of secondary metabolites by *Lactobacillus casei*, increasing the production of flavonoids and other substances. Excessive crushing of *Gnaphalium affine* actually reduced fermentation efficiency, possibly because premature crushing of certain substances limited microbial growth. These mechanisms require further investigation. Our team's research found that *Gnaphalium affine*, fermented with *Lactobacillus casei* without excessive crushing, yields the best feed results. In summary, the combination of the windmill grass herbaceous plant and forage grass in this application as feed for cattle during long-distance transportation can effectively alleviate the stress response of beef cattle during long-distance transportation.

[0116] The above description is a detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention. However, the embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the patent application of the present invention. All equivalent changes or modifications made under the technical spirit of the present invention should fall within the patent scope covered by the present invention.

Claims

1. A feeding method for alleviating stress response in cattle during long-distance transportation, characterized in that, Specifically, the following steps are included: (1) Ten days before long-distance transport, begin the following feeding: 1) Feeding: Feed the cattle according to feed I, which consists of 5-10 parts of windmill grass, 5-10 parts of elephant grass, 5-15 parts of alfalfa, and 100-120 parts of supplementary feed, at a rate of 3%-4% of the cattle's body weight. 2) Health Management: Allow the animals to run freely for 1-2 hours daily, and provide them with music for relaxation in the feeding shed for 1-2 hours daily. 3) Cattle shed management: The cattle shed is equipped with a biological bedding bed, which consists of a straw layer, a microbial powder layer, and a straw layer from top to bottom; the humidity in the cattle shed is controlled at 40% and the temperature at 24-25℃; (2) During long-distance transportation of 1-7 days, the following nursing care should be provided: S1. On the first day, feed the cattle a small amount of feed I at a rate of 0.5%-1% of their body weight. Provide them with small amounts of water frequently. Half an hour after each feeding of feed I, feed them 2kg / head of feed made by mixing 20g of Bacillus subtilis, 4g of Astragalus polysaccharide, and 6g of electrolyte multivitamins into 2kg of warm water. S2. On days 2-4, gradually increase the amount of feed I given to the cattle, feeding at a rate of 1%-2.5% of their body weight, and increase the amount of feed I by 0.25 kg per head each day. Half an hour after the cattle eat feed I, feed them 2 kg of physiological saline per head. S3. Feed the cattle with feed I on days 5-7, at a rate of 2.5%-3% of their body weight. Half an hour after feeding the cattle with feed I, feed them 2 kg of physiological saline per head. (3) After the cattle arrive at the destination farm after long-distance transportation, the following care shall be provided: S1. After the cattle rest for 3 hours, feed them 2kg / head of feed made by mixing 20g of Bacillus subtilis, 4g of Astragalus polysaccharide, and 6g of electrolyte multivitamins into 2kg of warm water. After resting for another 2 hours, feed them feed I at a rate of 0.5%-1% of their body weight. S2. On days 2-4, gradually increase the amount of feed I given to the cattle, feeding at a rate of 1%-2.5% of their body weight, and increase the amount of feed I by 0.25 kg per head each day. Half an hour after the cattle eat feed I, feed them 2 kg of physiological saline per head. S3. Feed the cattle with feed I on days 5-7, at a rate of 2.5%-3% of their body weight. Half an hour after feeding the cattle with feed I, feed them 2 kg of physiological saline per head. S4. Feed feed I at a rate of 3%-4% of the cattle's body weight from day 8 to day 15, with free access to water. Transition to conventional feeding on day 16. The windmill vegetable is the whole plant. Wash it, cut it into 2-3 cm sections, and then put it into a mixer and mix at 10-20 rpm / min for 5-10 minutes. Add Lactobacillus casei at 0.05% of the total weight of the windmill vegetable and mix it with the mixture. Then, put it in the dark and compost for 10-15 days. The elephant grass also undergoes pretreatment: the elephant grass is cut into 2-3 cm lengths, subjected to high-pressure rollers 3 times, and mixed with 0.1% Aspergillus oryzae by weight of the total elephant grass for 10-12 days of composting and fermentation. The alfalfa was pretreated as follows: the alfalfa was chopped into 2-3 cm pieces, treated twice with a high-pressure roller mill, and 0.1% lactic acid bacteria and 0.05% cellulase (based on the total mass of alfalfa) were added. The mixture was then compacted, sealed, and ensiled for 60 days in the dark.

2. The feeding method for alleviating stress response in cattle during long-distance transportation as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The feed I is composed of 5-10 parts by weight of windmill grass, 5-10 parts by weight of elephant grass, 5-15 parts by weight of alfalfa, and 100-120 parts by weight of supplementary ingredients. The supplementary ingredients consist of the following components by weight percentage: corn 55%, wheat bran 25%, soybean meal 15%, limestone powder 1.0%, sodium chloride 1.0%, dicalcium phosphate 0.5%, copper sulfate 0.5%, vitamin A 0.5%, vitamin E 0.5%, vitamin D 0.5%, and lysine 0.5%.

3. The feeding method for alleviating stress response in cattle during long-distance transportation as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The long-distance transportation uses a transport container, which is a water-spraying transport container with a self-spraying function to control the humidity inside the transport container at 45%.

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