Development of an application prototype for nutritional supplements of beef cattle in the dry season aimed for rural producers

Abstract

During the dry season of the year, tropical grasses have low nutritional value and protein content lower than the minimum value of 7.0% in dry matter so that microorganisms can use the fibrous energy substrates of ingested fodder. The viability of beef cattle directly depends on the economy at scale, as it operates with ever-lower profit margins. As animal performance in these conditions becomes unsatisfactory, it is recommended to supply supplements, always considering the technical-economic point of view. Thus, we performed the correction of the nutritional deficiencies of the pasture via supplementation allowing the continuity or even better performances, allowing the reduction of the production cycle and the age of slaughter of the animals. Thus, the search for the reduction of production costs should depend not only on the lower cost of food, but also on systems, structures or even simple and objective applications that allow the producer to choose the best supplement. Thus, this dissertation aims to develop an application prototype for nutritional supplements of beef cattle in the dry season aimed at rural producers a program of easy access, which with little information collected in the field, will provide an ideal product with the correct formulation and necessary for the proper maintenance and continuity of production of the animals.