Effect of supplementation of beef cattle with different protein levels and degradation rates during transition from the dry to rainy season

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of increasing the supply of protein with different degradation rates on the performance and metabolism of growing Nellore cattle reared on Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu pasture during the transition period from the dry to rainy season. The experiment was installed on an area of 34 ha, divided into 12 paddocks with an average area of 2.85 ha. In the performance evaluation were utilized 72 recently weaned, non-castrated Nellore cattle with an initial body weight (BW) of 199 kg (SEM = 16). The following supplements were used: energy protein supplement containing 25% crude protein (CP) (C-25) and energy protein supplements containing 40% CP with one third highly degradable CP and two thirds poorly degradable CP (40-1/3NPN), one half highly degradable CP and one half poorly degradable CP (40-1/2NPN), and two thirds highly degradable CP and one third poorly degradable CP (40-2/3NPN). Higher protein degradation rates reduced supplement intake (P < 0.01). In the first period, animals consuming supplement 40-1/3NPN exhibited higher average daily gain (ADG) (0.30 kg/day), similar to that of animals receiving supplement 40-1/2NPN (P = 0.04). In the second period, supplement 40-2/3NPN resulted in lower ADG (0.19 kg/day less than the other supplements). There was no effect of supplement on animal performance in the third period (P > 0.10), when ADG was 0.56 kg/day. In conclusion, the response to supplementation is associated with interactions with characteristics of the forage canopy. Supplementation with a true protein source will be beneficial only during the early stage of the dry-rainy season transition period.

Performance of Nellore calves in tropical pasture consuming different types of concentrated supplements

“…According to Ceconi et al (2015), increasing urea nitrogen in dietary supplements during the low peak of ammonia production may improve its use by ruminal bacteria. Fernandes et al (2016) recommended that CP content in the Protein supplements should be only 33% and should come from NPN at the beginning of the dry season. Figure 2.…”

“…Quantitative and qualitative changes occur in tropical pastures during the drought and rainy seasons and in the transition period (Fernandes et al, 2016). These tropical pastures accumulate 77-90% of the total dry matter production (DM) during the rainy season between the months of October and February, comprising high stocking rates in this period.…”

“…The type of supplement, composition, ingredients used, quantity consumed, quality and quantity of forage offered as well as interactions among these components are variables that affect cattle performance (Dixon e Stockdale, 1999;Fernandes et al, 2016). Thus, this study evaluated the use of concentrated supplements on the performance of Nellore calves grazing in marandu grass pastures during the dry season.…”

Desempenho de bezerros depois da inclusão de ureia de liberação lenta em suplemento proteico para bovinos

“…O nível de inclusão de fontes de NNP interfere no consumo voluntário de suplemento. O incremento da participação das fontes de NNP reduz de consumo do suplemento (Fernandes et al, 2016;Tedeschi, Fox & Russell, 2000) e este comportamento fica evidente ao longo do experimento uma vez que, quando houve dife-Tabela III. Peso corporal médio (kg), ganho médio diário (kg/dia) e consumo de suplemento (kg/dia) em bezerros suplementados com diferentes níveis de substituição do farelo de soja por ureia encapsulada (Average body weight (kg), average daily gain (kg/day) and supplement consumption (kg/day) in calves supplemented with different levels of substitution of soybean meal for encapsulated urea).…”

Protein Supplementation Is Vital for Beef Cattle Fed with Tropical Pasture

“…Similar study evaluated the effect of different protein concentrations on performance and metabolism of Nellore cattle in tropical pasture during the transition period from dry season to the rainy season [23]. The results showed that the response to supplementation is related to forage plant characteristics (e.g., forage canopy), resulting in benefits only at the early stage of the transition period from dry to rainy season.…”