Levels of supplementation for grazing pregnant beef heifers

Authors

  • Carla Heloisa Avelino Cabral Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso
  • Mario Fonseca Paulino Universidade Federal de Viçosa
  • Edenio Detmann Universidade Federal de Viçosa
  • Egídio Lisboa Valente Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná
  • Lívia Vieira de Barros Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso
  • Carlos Eduardo Avelino Cabral Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso

Abstract

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of different levels of multiple supplement supply on the nutritional characteristics and productive performance of pregnant heifers grazing Brachiaria decumbens Stapf. during the dry season. The experimental area was composed of four 3.0-ha paddocks with potentially digestible dry matter availability of 1,863 kg/ha. Twenty four crossbred heifers at 32 months and average initial body weight of 416±6 kg were used. The experimental design was in a completely randomized. The treatments consisted of mineral supplement and supply 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 kg/animal/day of multiple supplement. The dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), non-fibrous carbohydrates and total digestible nutrients (TDN) intake showed increasing linear relationship (P<0.10) with multiple supplement levels. Coefficients of apparent digestibility of DM, OM and non-fibrous carbohydrates also had linear effect (P<0.10) on the multiple supplementation levels. The microbial nitrogen flow and efficiency there was not affect (P>0.10) by levels of multiple supplementation; however the microbial nitrogen flow in relation to nitrogen intake showed decreasing linear profile (P<0.10). On the average daily gain was observed quadratic effect of multiple supplementation (P<0.10). In conclusion, the supply of 1.5 kg of multiple supplement optimizes the performance of grazing heifers during the dry season.

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Published

2014-01-17

How to Cite

CABRAL, C.H.A., PAULINO, M.F., DETMANN, E., LISBOA VALENTE, E., BARROS, L.V. de and CABRAL, C.E.A., 2014. Levels of supplementation for grazing pregnant beef heifers . Bioscience Journal [online], vol. 30, no. 1, pp. 226–234. [Accessed5 November 2024]. Available from: https://seer.ufu.br/index.php/biosciencejournal/article/view/18068.

Issue

Section

Agricultural Sciences