Supplementing calves on deferred native grasslands during their first winter, helps overcoming the nutritive deficits which occur during this season. However, the demand of both qualification and availability of labour may restrain its adoption. The objective of this work was to evaluate calves' average daily live weight gain (ADG) and supplemental feed efficiency (SFE) as a response to self-feeding methods. Two experiments (Exp) were carried out: i) Exp A, on sandy soils with Braford calves and, ii) Exp B on basaltic soils with Hereford calves. In each experiment 40 castrated male calves were used and randomly allotted to one of two replicates of these treatments: non-supplemented control (C); everyday restricted supplementation (E); restricted self-fed supplementation delivered two times a week (RSF); ad libitum self-fed (ASF). Exp A registered lowest ADG for C (0.155 kg an-1 day-1), similar ADG between E and RSF (0.623 kg an-1 day-1 on average) and highest for ASF (1.135 kg an-1 day-1) (p <0.05). For Exp B, ADG was affected being C ≤ E ≤ RSF < ASF (0.158, 0.390, 0.588 and 1.319 kg an-1 day-1 , respectively). SFE values were not different (p >0.05) between treatments for Exp A, even though ASF presented a 50% higher SFE (9.4) than RSF (6.2) and E (6.1). SFE was affected (p <0.05), being ASF (7.7) < E = RSF (3.9 on average). It is possible to overcome winter live weight losses through the combination of deferred native grasslands and restricted self-feeding.
Within the context of sustainable intensification of extensive livestock production systems, the inclusion of reduced areas of high productivity combined with strategic supplementation would allow an animal production increase. Sudangrass and direct grazing sorghum appear as alternatives because of their agroecological adaptation and high forage production. To evaluate the effect of these forage basis combined with the use of protein supplementation on average daily gain (ADG) and live weight (LW), 40 Hereford yearling steers (LW, Year 1 = 287 ± 35 kg; Year 2 = 271 ± 19 kg) were used in a random 2 x 2 factorial design for two years, where forage basis (sudangrass-Sd-or BMR sorghum-Sg) and supplementation (0.8% LW with sunflower expeller: with-S-or without-NOS) were evaluated. The animals were randomly allocated to 4 treatments with two replicates: SdNOS, SdS, SgNOS, and SgS. Average daily gain was significantly affected by forage basis and supplementation (Sd = 0.833 vs. Sg = 0.899 kg animal-1 d-1 , P < 0.05; NOS = 0.739 kg animal-1 d-1 vs. S = 0.992 kg animal-1 d-1 , P < 0.01), as was final LW (Sd = 342.3 vs. Sd = 347.1 kg, P < 0.05; NOS = 334.7 kg vs. S =354.7 kg; P < 0.01). The use of forage sorghums combined with strategic supplementation improved the rearing of steers during summer.
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