Reducing supplementation frequency for Nellore beef steers grazing tropical pastures
Resumen: Reduced supplementation frequency is a broadly applied management practice. Ruminants consuming low quality forages/pastures, supplemented less than once daily are able to maintain body weight gain (BWG), efficiency of use of dry matter, nitrogen and other nutrients, as compared with animals supplemented once daily. We evaluated the feeding behavior, dry matter intake (DMI), dry matter and organic matter digestibility (DMD and OMD), BWG, Longissimus muscle area and backfat depth of Nellore steers raised on Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu pastures during the dry season, with different supplementation patterns. Thirty six animals (338 ± 40.7 kg) were distributed over nine paddocks according to a completely randomized design. Treatments were based on supplementation frequency: once daily (OD), once daily except Saturdays and Sundays (SS), or on alternate days (AD), at 1.0 %, 1.4 % and 2.0 % BW, respectively. Average total DMI accounted for 1.6 % BW day–1, with no effect of supplementation frequency. Supplementation frequency had no effect on BWG or grazing time during the day. There was no difference in Longissimus muscle area animals supplemented daily, SS and AD. The backfat depth was thinner in animals supplemented AD, but even in this case, it was within the standards considered satisfactory for a finishing steer. Reducing supplementation frequency seems a good option to lower labor costs without affecting feed efficiency or carcass quality in beef cattle grazing tropical pastures.
Idioma: Inglés
DOI: 10.1590/S0103-90162014000200003
Año: 2014
Publicado en: SCIENTIA AGRICOLA 71, 2 (2014), 105-113
ISSN: 0103-9016

Factor impacto JCR: 0.809 (2014)
Categ. JCR: AGRICULTURE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY rank: 21 / 56 = 0.375 (2014) - Q2 - T2
Tipo y forma: Artículo (Versión definitiva)
Área (Departamento): Producción Animal (Departamento de Producción Animal y Ciencia de los Alimentos)

Creative Commons Debe reconocer adecuadamente la autoría, proporcionar un enlace a la licencia e indicar si se han realizado cambios. Puede hacerlo de cualquier manera razonable, pero no de una manera que sugiera que tiene el apoyo del licenciador o lo recibe por el uso que hace. No puede utilizar el material para una finalidad comercial.


Exportado de SIDERAL (2017-05-04-09:05:11)


Visitas y descargas

Este artículo se encuentra en las siguientes colecciones:
Artículos > Artículos por área > Producción Animal



 Registro creado el 2016-12-15, última modificación el 2017-05-04


Versión publicada:
 PDF
Valore este documento:

Rate this document:
1
2
3
 
(Sin ninguna reseña)