Steers performances in grazing submitted by two supplementation intervals during dry season/Desempenho de bovinos em pastejo submetidos a duas frequencias de suplementacao no periodo da seca

• Published in: Acta scientiarum. Animal sciences 2009-10, Vol.31 (4), p.417
• Main Authors: Canesin, Roberta Carrilho, Berchielli, Telma Teresinha, Reis, Ricardo Andrade, Rey, Fernando Sebastian Baldi, de Resende, Kleber Tomas, Teixeira, Izabelle Auxiliadora Molina de Almeida
• Format: Article
• Language: Spanish
• ISSN: 1806-2636
• DOI: 10.4025/actascianimsci.v31i4.5918

This work was carried out to evaluate different frequencies of supplementation during the dry season. Forty-eight Nellore steers with 320 kg of initial live weight were fed with Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu pasture on a continuous stocking rate. The animals were submitted to following treatments: daily supplementation and supplementation three times a week. The animals in both treatments received 7 kg of supplementation [animal.sup.-1] weekly, and were weighted at 28-day intervals. The data were analyzed by the MIXED procedure in SAS (2004), with measurements repeated over time. The study observed average forage allowance of 4.2 tons of DM [ha.sup.-1], with 3.5% CP, 82.24% NDF and 64.97% ADF. There was no difference (p < 0.01) among daily weight gains of animals who received daily supplementation and those received supplementation three times a week (0.23 and 0.13 kg [day.sup.-1], respectively). Therefore, the supplementation intervals did not influence steer performance during the dry season.