Performance and ingestive behavior of steers on integrated system using legume and/or energy supplementation

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a mixture of temperate and legume grasses with or without energy supplementation on the performance and feeding behavior of finishing beef steers. Eighteen Nellore-Zebu steers, average 23 months old and body weight (BW) of 380 kg, were used in a continuous grazing system, in a randomized block experimental design. Treatments were ORS: oat (Avena strigosa Schreb) + annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam) + supplementation with corn bran; ORVS: oat + ryegrass + vetch (Vicia sativa L.) + supplementation with corn bran; and ORV: oat + ryegrass + vetch. Evaluations were conducted on pasture (forage mass, sward height, herbage accumulation, botanical composition, and chemical composition) and animal (performance and ingestive behavior). Stocking rate and forage mass were greater in treatments with energy supplementation (ORVS and ORS), thus presenting greater sward heights compared to the treatment without supplementation. There was greater participation of oats and ryegrass when vetch was absent (ORS). The presence of supplement (ORS and ORVS) increased the presence of oat stem. The presence of the supplement caused the contribution of the vetch to be lower, likely because of the higher animal load of these treatments. The higher presence of vetch increased crude protein content in the ORV treatment. The ORS exhibited greater gain per area compared to the ORV. Supplemented animals had lower grazing and greater idle time. The ORS treatment animals spent more time in other activities and consumed supplementation and less time grazing than the other treatments. The absence of supplement (ORV) caused the animals to spend more time grazing. Animals not supplemented showed a higher duration of daily chewing, number of chews per minute, number of daily chews, daily number of bites, and station numbers.

Legume inclusion or nitrogen fertilization on Aruana grass overseeded with temperate grasses: Performance, carcass characteristics, and fatty acid profile of the meat of beef steers

“…According to Barcellos et al (2008), there is a lower animal preference for legumes in tropical regions than grasses and, consequently, a trend for choosing grasses. Similar results (Lazzarotto et al, 2019;Lisbinski et al, 2019) were found in other studies, and the authors verified similar gains between animals on oat + ryegrass pastures mixed with vetch and those that only grazed grasses.…”

Energy supplements for beef heifers on cool season pastures - a database analysis

“…Supplementation can decrease forage intake due to substitution, wherein higher levels of supplement favor substitution of pasture intake for supplements that increase stocking rate (KLEIN et al, 2015). Additionally, when supplement consumption substitutes part of forage intake, it improves diet quality due to higher energy levels, which allows higher bovine selectivity during grazing (LISBINSKI et al, 2018). The lower SC with an increase of the supplement amount can be associated with greater response of SR to higher levels than the individual gain of the heifers, which is characteristic of the supplement substitution effect.…”

Intramuscular fatty acid composition of steers finished on oat pastures mixture with vetch or cornmeal supplementation

“…Mixture between grasses and temperate legumes has proved to be important for feeding beef cattle because these species possess excellent forage quality and provide high yields per area, allowing for long grazing periods, and improving the performance of animals during the critical production period (LISBINSKI et al, 2019). This increase in production is because of the long and later cycle of legume as compared to oat (WAGHORN & CLARK, 2004).…”