HEIFERS PERFORMANCE OF THE PANTANEIRA AND GIROLANDO BREED IN PASTURES OF Urochloa decumbens IN DRY PERIOD, IN THE CERRADO-PANTANAL ECOTONE

Abstract

The objective of this study was to verify the performance of animals with different nutritional requirements during the drought period. The evaluation period was 126 days (14 days of adaptation and three 28-day sub-periods) in brachiaria grass pasture (Urochloa decumbens), with weaned heifers, aged from 6 to 7 months, from Pantaneira and Girolando breeds. (¾ Dutch x ¼ Gir). The heifers were divided into two groups, those receiving concentrated feed at 1% of body weight and those that were only in the pasture without supplementation with concentrate. In each 28-day period, body measurements, animal weight and respective evaluations on pasture were collected. The pasture consumption by the animals was influenced by the diets, whereupon the animals that received feed, consumed less grass. Concentrated supplementation provided both, Pantaneira and Girolando breed, a dry matter intake increases of the total diet. The daily weight gain and thoracic perimeter gain for heifers that were fed with concentrate feed, were similar for both breeds. Pantaneira heifers presented smaller body dimensions than Girolando, being the lowest feed conversion observed in non-supplemented Pantaneiro animals.

Keywords

• pantaneiro cattle
• brachiaria
• local breeds
• animal genetic resource