GROWTH, INGESTIVE BEHAVIOR AND REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF CROSSBRED HOLSTEIN X ZEBU HEIFERS IN GRAZING, SUBMITTED TO PROTEIN SUPPLEMENTATION DURING THE RAINY SEASON

Authors

  • Ricardo Dias Signoretti APTA Regional - Pólo da Alta Mogiana - Colina/SP
  • Maria Fernanda S. Queiroz Departamento de Agropecuária Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Centro de Ciências Humanas, Sociais e Agrárias, CEP. 58.220-000, Bananeiras, PB
  • Telma Teresinha Berchielli Departamento de Zootecnia da FCAV/UNESP, 14884-900, Jaboticabal, SP.
  • Anita Shmidek APTA Regional - Pólo da Alta Mogiana - Colina/SP.
  • Elisa Marcela de Oliveira Pós – graduando em Zootecnia, FCAV/UNESP, 14884-900, Jaboticabal, SP.
  • Vanessa Dib Pós – graduando em Zootecnia, FCAV/UNESP, 14884-900, Jaboticabal, SP.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5216/cab.v13i3.14425

Keywords:

Animal Supplementation

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of supplemental protein during the rainy season on body growth, ingestive behavior and reproductive performance of crossbred Gir x Holstein dairy heifers, with mean age of 21 ± 4.1 months and average initial body weight of 296.7 ± 57.3 kg, distributed in a completely randomized design with four treatments and six replicates per treatment. Heifers remained on Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu pasture, managed according to a rotational grazing system and, as treatment, it was supplemented with protein concentrate (34%, 43%, 56% and 66% BW) and level of supply of 0.30% body weight (BW). The animals were weighed and the mean weight of the lot was used for the calculation of adjustment of the amount of concentrate offered. Heifers that reached 330.0 kg of live weight were artificially inseminated and, 45 days after insemination, pregnancy diagnosis was performed for the calculation of pregnancy rate and age at conception. No significant difference of protein levels was observed on grazing, eating behavior, productive performance and age at conception of dairy heifers on pasture. The average daily weight gain of BW and age at conception were, on average, 0.907 kg / animal and 24.03 months, respectively.

KEYWORDS: grazing; heifers rearing; pregnancy rate; supplementation; weight gain.

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Published

2012-09-28

How to Cite

SIGNORETTI, R. D.; QUEIROZ, M. F. S.; BERCHIELLI, T. T.; SHMIDEK, A.; OLIVEIRA, E. M. de; DIB, V. GROWTH, INGESTIVE BEHAVIOR AND REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF CROSSBRED HOLSTEIN X ZEBU HEIFERS IN GRAZING, SUBMITTED TO PROTEIN SUPPLEMENTATION DURING THE RAINY SEASON. Brazilian Animal Science/ Ciência Animal Brasileira, Goiânia, v. 13, n. 3, p. 298–305, 2012. DOI: 10.5216/cab.v13i3.14425. Disponível em: https://revistas.ufg.br/vet/article/view/14425. Acesso em: 30 jun. 2024.

Issue

Vol. 13 No. 3 (2012)

Section

Animal Production

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