Souza et al., 1999. Rev. Bras. Zootec., 28 (6): 1424-1429

The performance of lambs supplemented with two levels of L. leucocephala hay during the dry season was compared with that of animals grazing buffel grass or buffel grass grown with Cajanus cajan. During the rainy season, the performance of animals maintained on buffel grass pasture without supplementation was also determined. The following treatments were tested during the dry season: buffel grass pasture (A), buffel grass pasture consorted with Cajanus cajan (B), buffel grass pasture supplemented with Leucaena hay (250 g/head daily) (C), and buffel grass pasture supplemented with Leucaena hay (500 g/head daily) (D). During the dry season, only lambs supplemented with the highest level of Leucaena hay (treatment D) showed daily weight gain higher than those animals on exclusively pasture diets (treatments A and B). During the rainy season, the animals that showed better daily gain rates in the dry season showed lower daily weight in relation to the other treatments. When both seasons were considered, the benefits of supplementation disappeared and there were no differences among treatments. The results suggest that the use of Leucaena hay for supplementation of lambs maintained in pasture during the dry season, is efficient, as the animals are finished and slaughtered at the end of the season.