Low Levels of Supplementation for Post-Weaning Girolando Steers on Tropical Pasture During the Dry to Rainy Season Transition

TL;DR

This study found that supplementing post-weaning steers with 1 g/kg of concentrate during the dry to rainy season transition is sufficient to improve forage intake and digestion without affecting growth.

Contribution

The study identifies a cost-effective supplementation level for beef cattle in tropical regions during a critical seasonal transition.

Findings

Steers supplemented with 1 g/kg of BW had higher forage intake and fiber digestibility.

Supplementation at 1 g/kg BW improved nutrient utilization without compromising growth performance.

Both supplementation levels resulted in similar average daily gain and final body weight.

Abstract

This study evaluated two levels of concentrate supplementation (1 g/kg and 2 g/kg of body weight, BW) on the intake, digestibility and performance of post-weaning Girolando steers on tropical pastures during the dry to rainy transition season/period. The main problem addressed was how to optimize nutrition in this period when the forage quality decreases, affecting animal growth. The results showed that steers that received 1 g/kg of the supplement had greater forage intake and fiber digestibility, while those that received 2 g/kg consumed more non-fiber carbohydrates. However, the average daily gain and final body weight were similar between the two groups. This study concludes that a supplementation level of 1 g/kg of BW is sufficient to increase nutrient utilization without compromising animal performance, offering a cost-effective solution for beef production in tropical regions. This can help to improve the livestock efficiency, ensuring better use of the available resources.

The objective of this study to evaluate the effects of two levels of concentrate supplementation (1 g/kg or 2 g/kg of body weight, BW) on the intake, apparent digestibility and performance of Girolando steers on tropical pastures during the post-weaning phase in the dry to rainy season transition. We used 20 Girolando steers (half Holstein x half Zebu), with an average initial BW of 151.15 ± 50 kg and 12 months of age. The steers grazed on Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu pasture. The animals were randomly assigned supplementation with 1 g/kg of BW (SC1) or supplementation with 2 g/kg of BW (SC2) of a concentrate supplement. The forage dry matter intake (%BW), neutral detergent fiber intake (NDF) and NDF digestibility were higher (p < 0.05) for steers supplemented with a level of 1 g/kg of BW. Supplement intake (kg/day), non-fibrous carbohydrate (NFC) intake and NFC digestibility were higher (p < 0.05) for steers consuming 2 g/kg BW of the concentrated supplement. The body weight at slaughter (297 kg) and average daily gain (0.57 kg/day) were not influenced by the level of supplementation. The use of 1 g/kg BW of a concentrated supplement is recommended for post-weaning steers on tropical pastures during the dry to rainy season transition.