&lt;b&gt;Patterns of use of time by heifers with or without supplementation at different phenological stages of winter grasses

Maria José De Oliveira Sichonany,Paulo Roberto Salvador,Marta Gomes Da Rocha,Paulo Henrique Moterle,Tuani Lopes Bergoli,Luciana Pötter

doi:10.4025/actascianimsci.v38i2.30218

<b>Patterns of use of time by heifers with or without supplementation at different phenological stages of winter grasses

Maria José De Oliveira Sichonany, Paulo Roberto Salvador + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.4025/actascianimsci.v38i2.30218

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Abstract

A joint data analysis was performed to characterize forage intake rate and patterns of use of time by grazing heifers in cold season pastures. Heifers received or not energetic supplementation at different phenological stages of grasses (vegetative, pre-flowering and flowering). Experiments involved 360 heifers with initial age of eight months and average body weight of 145 ± 17 kg, on continuous grazing method and variable number of animals. Supplementaed heifers consumed 17.0% less forage and 22.2% less leaf blades than heifers exclusively on pasture. Grazing activity was concentrated in the afternoon shift, regardless of the feeding system and phenological stages evaluated, with the longest event of rumination during the night. Forage intake rate is similar, regardless of supplement intake and phenological stages of grasses.

Highlights

Adequate nutrition for beef heifers in their first winter is highly relevant so that positive alterations occur in age reduction at their first mating and in birth rates
The animals were fed on cold season cultivated pastures, with and without energetic supplementation, and in three grass phenological stages
Supplemented or non-supplemented heifers were kept on a similar forage mass (FM; 1783 ± 181 kg DM ha-1; P = 0.1928) and canopy height (13.7 ± 1.0 cm; P = 0.9160)

Summary

Introduction

Adequate nutrition for beef heifers in their first winter is highly relevant so that positive alterations occur in age reduction at their first mating and in birth rates With these objectives, in south Brazil, these animals have been kept on winter forage pastures (Roso et al, 2009). The provision of energetic supplementation is an alternative to increase the animals’ growth velocity in these pastures because the supplements improve the nutrient balance of the diet (Santos et al, 2005). Herbivores adapt their physiology and feeding behavior to adequately deal with changes in feeding conditions.

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Conclusion