Performance and economic viability of protein supplementation for grazing cattle steers in the wet and dry-wet transition season

• Main Author: Pereira Junior, Wolney Alvim
• Publication Date: 2016
• Other Authors: Paulino, Mario Fonseca, Zervoudakis, Joanis Tilemahos, Paulino, Pedro Veiga Rodrigues, Silva-Marques, Renata Pereira da, José Neto, Antônio, França, Dagberto, Hatamoto-Zervoudakis, Luciana Keiko
• Format: Article
• Language: eng
• Source: Semina. Ciências Agrárias (Online)
• Download full: https://ojs.uel.br/revistas/uel/index.php/semagrarias/article/view/20271
• topic: Beef cattle; Cost of production; Weight gain; Supplement; Ultrasonography.; Bovinos de corte; Custo de produção; Ganho de peso; Suplemento; Ultrassonografia.

The objective was to evaluate performance and economic viability of protein supplementation of grazing beef cattle in the wet and dry-wet transition season. Eighty non-castrated Nellore steers, body weight of 371 ± 11.3 kg were used in the experiment. The treatments were the following: SM – Mineral supplement; Protein mineral supplements (SMP 20% FS - soybean meal: 410 g/animal; SMP 40% UR - urea: 223 g/animal; and SMP 40% UP - protect urea: 236 g/animal). It was used a complete random design with 20 replicates per treatment. There was a difference in the results (P<0.05) of PMS 40% UP compared with SM, with average daily gain (ADG) of 1.06 kg/animal for SMP 40% UP and 0.95 kg/ animal for SM, respectively. There was difference (P<0.10) in the fat accumulation rate in longissimus dorsi muscle (Tx.EGLD) between treatments. The PMS 40% UP supplement showed an accumulation of fat 0.018 mm/day while the SMP 40% UR had a lower rate of fat 0.011 mm/day. There was no effect (P> 0.10) of treatments on the rate of accumulation of fat in the rump region. All treatments presented a positive net margin. The best net margin was observed for treatment PMS 40% UP, that is, R$123.92 per animal/period, whereas the smallest was observed in treatment PMS 20% FS, that is, R$98.91 per animal/period. Protein supplementation with a source of protected nitrogen can be used as a strategy to increase the performance of beef cattle on pasture of Brachiaria brizantha cv. Xaraés during the wet and dry-wet transition.