Effects of grazing on deposition of chemical body components, energy retention and plasma hormones in steers

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of grazing on the accretion of energy and chemical components in steers, using the comparative slaughter technique and taking into consideration the growth rate. Twelve Holstein steers aged 6 months and weighing 160 kg were divided into three treatment groups – an initial, grazing and control group. The initial group was slaughtered at the beginning of the experiment. The grazing group was grazed on timothy pastures for 18 weeks. The control group was kept in a stable and offered concentrate and timothy hay in a proportion of 2:1 throughout the 18 weeks. The amount of ration offered to the control group was adjusted in order to obtain a growth rate similar to that of the grazing group. The grazing and control groups were slaughtered at the end of the experiment. The grazing and the control groups had similar growth rates of approximately 0.8 kg/day throughout the experimental period and similar final live weights of approximately 260 kg. The grazing group had lower fat and energy deposition rates than the control group (P < 0.05). Deposition rates of protein, fat, ash, moisture and energy were 130, 32, 30, 374 g/day and 4.4 MJ/day, respectively, in the grazing group and 117, 85, 32, 381 g/day and 6.2 MJ/day, respectively, in the control group. The net energy for growth was lower in the grazing group (7.7 MJ/kg) than in the control group (9.9 MJ/kg, P < 0.05). The grazing group had higher plasma concentrations in growth hormone and lower plasma concentrations in insulin and insulin-like growth factor 1 than those in the control group (P < 0.05).