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

In: Semina: revista cultural e científica da Universidade Estadual de Londrina. Ciências agrárias, Band 37, Heft 1, S. 357

Abstract

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.