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Agrociencia (Uruguay)

Print version ISSN 1510-0839On-line version ISSN 2301-1548

Abstract

BERETTA, Virginia; SIMEONE, Álvaro; FRANCO, Juan  and  BENTANCUR, Óscar. Supplementation with Sources of Fiber or Starch for Finishing Steers Grazing Winter Pastures. Agrociencia Uruguay [online]. 2017, vol.21, n.1, pp.131-139. ISSN 1510-0839.

This study assessed the effect of supplementation with concentrate or roughage on the performance of steers grazing on ryegrass previous to slaughter. The experiment was conducted on two consecutive years (Y) on 23 ha of Lolium multiflorum LE284. Forty-eight Hereford steers (year 1) and 36 (year 2), were randomly allotted to 12 groups and one of four treatments (T):grazing without supplementation (GR); grazing plus grass hay (Setaria itálica) restricted (HR) or ad libitum (HAD); andsupplementation with ground sorghum grain (SG, 1 % live weight, LW). Data were analyzed according to acompletely randomized design with factorial arrangement of treatments. Available forage biomass was higher in year 2 (1932vs. 2806 kg/ha, P < 0.01), with no differences due to T (P > 0.05), or to the interaction Y × T (P > 0.05). Interaction Y×T did notaffect any of the performance or carcass variables (P > 0.05). SG increased daily intake, live weight gain (LWG), LW atslaughter, carcass weight and carcass fat compared to GR (P < 0.05). Conversely, neither HR nor HAD improved cattleperformance at slaughter compared to GR (P > 0.05). These results do not sustain the hypothesis that supplying restrictedamounts of grass hay would improve the utilization of ingested pasture.

Keywords : foxtail millet hay; sorghum grain; ryegrass; intake; behavior.

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