Does a high or moderate nutritional supplementation affect the puberty and productive performance of Nellore heifers?

The effects of higher supplementation levels for young Nellore heifers fed tropical forages including their influence on puberty, need to be understood. This study investigated the influence of high and moderate supplementation levels on puberty onset and the productive performance of Nellore heifers. Thirty-six Nellore heifers (225 + 3.52 kg) were used in a completely randomized design, with three treatments: (I) no concentrate (control); (II) concentrate supplement at 4 g/kg body weight (BW); (III) concentrate supplement at 8 g/kg BW. Increased supplement level led to a linear increase in average daily gain (P < 0.05). The high supplementation level (8 g/kg BW) had the highest proportion of corpus luteum presence (82% of heifers), compared to the 4 g/kg BW treatment group (67%) and the control group (33%; P < 0.05). Our findings indicate that providing a high level of energy supplementation to Nellore heifers for approximately 100 d improves performance and increases the proportion of heifers that reach puberty.

Long term beef production in extensive cow-calf systems in the tropical savannas of eastern Colombia / Producción continua de carne en sistemas extensivos de cría en las sabanas tropicales del oriente de Colombia

ABSTRACT Replacement beef heifers in extensive systems of the neotropical savannas of Colombia are low priority animals and are assigned to native savannas and low-quality pastures, with scarcely researched long-term consequences. The study pooled data from four contemporary grazing experiments to determine the effects of low growth rates of heifers on their lifetime production of liveweight gains (LWGs) per year and per hectare (ha) subject to different management strategies. Three growth rates were imposed on grazing heifers during the growing phase (i.e. nine-36 months of age) on Brachiaria humidicola pastures. Upon the end of the previous phase, animals were allocated to a B. humidicola paddock with a reduced stocking rate or introduced to a B. decumbens sward to allow compensatory LWGs during the breeding phase (i.e. cows plus weaned calves). Severely limited heifers allowed to make compensatory growth did not reach the outputs of better fed animals. Regardless of the strategy followed, high producing years tended to be followed by lower production in the following year. Comparison with reasonably fed breeding cows full-time on well-managed B. decumbens showed important and significant differences in favor of the more intensive system over the lifetime of the animals. Over the nine-year period, the systems' beef output (i.e. weaned calves plus cows' LWGs) ranged between 86 and 206 kg/ha/year and demonstrated that a wide array of low input management alternatives is feasible. Beef output increases if the LW of cull cows is considered, particularly if they are allowed a short period of fattening during the rainy reason on a low input pasture.

RESUMEN Las novillas de reemplazo en los sistemas extensivos de cría de los Llanos Orientales de Colombia son animales de baja prioridad para el productor y generalmente se les asignan sabanas nativas o pasturas de baja calidad. Las consecuencias de dicha estrategia de manejo han sido poco investigadas. Este trabajo reunió datos de cuatro experimentos de pastoreo contemporáneos y de largo plazo para estimar el efecto de las bajas tasas de crecimiento sobre la ganancia de peso por año y por hectárea (ha) de novillas sometidas a diferentes estrategias de manejo. Se usaron tres cargas animales durante la fase de crecimiento para lograr tasas de crecimiento contrastantes entre los nueve y 36 meses de edad, con pasturas de baja calidad de Brachiaria humidicola, caracterizadas por bajo contenido de proteína bruta y baja digestibilidad. Durante la fase de cría y reproducción las novillas pasaron a pasturas de B. humidicola o de B. decumbens con cargas reducidas, para permitir ganancias de peso compensatorias. Los animales de menor ganancia durante el crecimiento no lograron ganancias compensatorias que les permitieran alcanzar a aquellos mejor alimentados. Independientemente de la estrategia de alimentación, años de relativamente alta producción fueron seguidos por años de baja producción en forma cíclica. La comparación con animales mejor alimentados con pastura de B. decumbens bien manejada, mostró diferencias considerables y significativas acumuladas durante su vida útil. A lo largo de nueve años de experimentación, la producción de ganancia de peso de vacas más terneros destetos varió entre 86 y 206 kg/ha/año, demostrando las consecuencias de largo plazo del amplio rango de estrategias de manejo experimentadas. La producción de carne en estos sistemas se puede aumentar si se le suma el peso de vacas de descarte, particularmente, si le les permite un periodo de ceba corto durante la estación lluviosa, incluso usando pasturas de calidad baja.

Performance and feed intake of beef heifers on rotational grazing of natural grassland receiving protein and energy supplement in cool season / Desempenho de bezerras de corte em pastoreio rotativo em pastagem natural recebendo suplemento proteico-energético

ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance and feed intake of grazing beef heifers on two grazing intervals determined by thermal sum related to leaf elongation duration during cool season on natural grasslands. A complete randomized block design experiment with two treatments and three replications was conducted from May to September 2011 in the central part of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The treatments were two thermal sums calculated at 375 and 750 degrees-days (DD) to determine the intervals between grazing periods in a rotational grazing system. Thirty six beef heifers with average age of 18 months old and (initial body weight = 220±14kg) were used, all heifers received ground corn supplement at a rate of 5g kg-1 of body weight per day, at 2p.m., throughout the experiment and had free access to mineral and protein supplementation (450g kg-1 of CP). Similar average daily gain (ADG), beef production gain (BPG) and feed intake (FI), were obtained in both treatments. Leaf elongation duration is an alternative grazing management tool for improved animal production and to increase animal stocking rate.

RESUMO: Objetivou-se avaliar o desempenho e consumo de matéria seca de bezerras manejadas em pastoreio rotativo, com intervalos de pastoreio definidos por duas somas térmicas relacionadas à duração de elongação foliar de dois grupos funcionais de gramíneas durante a estação fria em pastagem natural. O delineamento experimental foi o de blocos completamente casualizados, com dois tratamentos e três repetições de área na região central do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. Os tratamentos foram duas somas térmicas: 375 e 750 graus-dias (GD), que determinaram os intervalos entre os pastoreios. Foram utilizadas trinta e seis bezerras de corte com idade média de 18 meses e peso corporal médio de 220±14kg. Durante todo o experimento, as bezerras receberam como suplemento grão de milho moído a uma taxa de 0,5% do peso corporal por dia, às 14:00 horas e tiveram livre acesso à suplementação proteínada (45% PB). Não houve diferença para o ganho médio diário, ganho de peso por área e consumo de matéria seca entre os tratamentos. A soma térmica como intervalo de descanso entre os pastoreios mostrou-se uma alternativa de manejo para aumentar a taxa de lotação.

Desenvolvimento de bezerras de corte após a desmama sob níveis de concentrado / After weaning beef heifers development under supplementation levels

Foi avaliado o desenvolvimento de bezerras de corte recebendo diferentes níveis diários de suplemento concentrado: 0,0; 0,3; 0,6 e 0,9 por cento do peso corporal em pastagem de aveia preta (Avena strigosa Schreb.) e azevém (Lolium multiflorum Lam.). O delineamento experimental foi o inteiramente casualizado, com quatro tratamentos e duas repetições de área. As bezerras tiveram condições similares de disponibilidade de pasto (massa de forragem e oferta de lâminas verdes) em todos os tratamentos. Aumentos na quantidade fornecida de suplemento interferiram positivamente no ganho médio diário, na carga animal, no ganho de peso por área e na eficiência de transformação da forragem. Bezerras suplementadas apresentaram maior peso corporal e maior escore de condição corporal aos 13 meses de idade em relação às não suplementadas. Em aveia preta e azevém, fornecer até 0,9 por cento do peso corporal dos animais em suplementação concentrada é uma alternativa para serem obtidas novilhas mais pesadas e com melhor escore de condição corporal.

It was evaluated the performance of beef heifers receiving different levels of supplement: 0; 0.3; 0.6 and 0.9 percent of body weight day-1, in black oats (Avena strigosa Schreb.) plus Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) pasture. The experimental design was completely randomized with four treatments and two area replicates. Beef heifers from different treatments had access to the same forage allowance (herbage mass and supply of green leaves). Increases on supplement quantity positively interfered on average daily gain, stocking rate, weight gain per area and forage transformation efficiency. Supplemented heifers had greater weight and body condition at 13 months of age than the non supplemented ones. In black oats plus Italian ryegrass pasture, providing up to 0.9 percent of body weight of the animal concentrate supplementation is an alternative for obtaining heavier heifers and in better body condition score.