Semina: Ciências Agrárias (Feb 2015)

Multiple supplements for beef heifers on pasture in dry season

  • Renata Pereira da Silva-Marques ,
  • Joanis Tilemahos Zervoudakis ,
  • Luciana Keiko Hatamoto-Zervoudakis ,
  • Luciano da Silva Cabral ,
  • Emerson Alexandrino ,
  • Alan Carlos Barboza Melo ,
  • Juliane Quenoizoré Soares ,
  • Everton Riva Donida,
  • Lilian Chambo Rondena Pesqueira Silva

DOI
https://doi.org/10.5433/1679-0359.2015v36n1p525
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 36, no. 1
pp. 525 – 540

Abstract

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The objective was to evaluate levels of multiple supplement for beef heifers in restricted grazing on average daily gain (ADG), economic analysis and intakes of total dry matter (TDMI), forage dry matter (FDMI), crude protein (CPI) and total digestible nutrients (TDNI). For evaluation of performance and economic analysis, twenty Nellore heifers (328.45 kg) were used. The following supplements were evaluated as fed to the animals: control (mineral supplement) and supplementation levels of 2, 4 and 6 kg/animal/day, composing the following percentages of average body weight (ABW): 0.55, 1.11 and 1.66%, respectively. To evaluate the nutrient intake, additional five Nellore heifers with 344 kg, were used, which were submitted to same supplements previously mentioned, in addition to the level of 2.22% of ABW (8 kg/animal/day). Average daily gain showed quadratic behavior; TDMI, CPI and TDNI had increasing linear behavior; and FDMI showed decreasing linear behavior in function of the supplementation levels. The strategy of supplying 0.55, 1.11 and 1.66% of the ABW to heifers on restricted grazing provides additional weight gains of 608, 762 and 943 g/day, respectively, which are effective in promoting similar productive and economic performance to those obtained in grazing systems in the rainy period.

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