Supplementation effect on the performance of beef cattle steers maintained in Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu pasture
Fernandes, L. de O.; Reis, R.A.; Valente Paes, J.M.
Ciencia E Agrotecnologia 34(1): 240-247
2010
ISSN/ISBN: 1413-7054 DOI: 10.1590/s1413-70542010000100031
Accession: 070624458
This research was conducted to evaluate the energy and protein supplementation effects on the weight gain of crossbred steers (1/2 Nellore + 1/2 Blonde D'Aquitaine) maintained in Brachiaria brizantha (A. Rich.) Stapf cv. Marandu pasture, during the rainy season. Forage production and chemical composition were determined. Eighteen (18) steers with average body weight (BW) of 181 kg were evaluated and distributed in a randomized block design, in a split-plot scheme, allocating the plot and the sub-plot periods, with two treatments and six replications. Treatments were: no supplement (SS), supplementation with 0.6 % of BW (SA). During the rainy season, the supplementation increased the weight gain of the steers 1.06 kg/day (SA), compared to 0.77 kg/day (SS).