Goes et al., 2005. Rev. Bras. Zootec., 34 (5): 1740-1750
Recria de novilhos mestiços em pastagens de Brachiaria brizantha, com diferentes níveis de suplementação, na região Amazônica. Desempenho animal
The objective of this trial was to evaluate the effects of different levels of supplementation on the performance of grazing steers during the growing phase. The experiment was carried out from March to November 2003. A total of 55 steers aged 10 months and with initial body weight of 226 kg were assigned to a completely randomized design. The treatments were: control (mineral salt) and supplements fed at different levels (0.125, 0.25, 0.50, and 1.0% body weight/animal/day) and contained maize and soyabean meal formulated to yield 24% crude protein. The control group had an intake of 70 g/day and average daily gain of 0.28 kg. The control group showed a protein content below the threshold value, which did not meet gain requirements. Animals fed other treatments had average daily gains of 0.51, 0.58, 0.68 and 0.72 kg/day, with supplement conversions of 1.48, 1.56, 2.67 and 4.43 during the transition time, and 1.52, 3.17, 5.29 and 10.19 during the dry season, for 0.12, 0.25, 0.5 and 1.0% BW, respectively. The supplementation provided higher values of weight gain at the levels of 0.5 and 1.0% and higher efficiencies at the levels of 0.125 and 0.25%.