Morphophysiology of forage peanut submitted to different intensities of defoliation on grazing with sheep.

The aim was to monitor the growth, the dry mass accumulation curve, and the structural photosynthetic components of forage peanut pasture, in different intensities of defoliation in sheep rotational stocking. Experimental area of Arachis pintoi (cv. Amarillo) had 0.29 ha divided equally into 16 paddocks of 180 m2 where they were assigned in a randomized block design with four repetitions; intensities of grazing were very lenient, lenient, moderate, and severe, represented by the residue heights of 11.2, 8.4, 5.9, and 3.2 cm respectively, from 14 cm (pre-grazing height). Weekly evaluations were carried out in the remaining period and in the pre and post-grazing period, with the forage cut to soil level for the determination of the dry mass available, separation of the structural components of pasture, and determination of the area of the leaflets. From this information, the values of leaf area index, leaf to stem ratio, and growth ratios were calculated. With these results, for the growth variables, regression curves were estimated as a function of the rest days offered by each treatment. Despite the lower mass of forage obtained when the leaf area is severely defoliated, the species presents even accumulation of biomass and foliar area. Severe grazing intensity resulted in greater accumulation of leaves, reflected in the leaf area ratio and leaf weight ratio. The lenient intensities provide less rest time between grazing, requiring a greater number of paddocks. Under the research conditions, severe defoliation provides less forage to the animals.

Performance and ingestive behavior of steers on integrated system using legume and/or energy supplementation.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a mixture of temperate and legume grasses with or without energy supplementation on the performance and feeding behavior of finishing beef steers. Eighteen Nellore-Zebu steers, average 23 months old and body weight (BW) of 380 kg, were used in a continuous grazing system, in a randomized block experimental design. Treatments were ORS: oat (Avena strigosa Schreb) + annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam) + supplementation with corn bran; ORVS: oat + ryegrass + vetch (Vicia sativa L.) + supplementation with corn bran; and ORV: oat + ryegrass + vetch. Evaluations were conducted on pasture (forage mass, sward height, herbage accumulation, botanical composition, and chemical composition) and animal (performance and ingestive behavior). Stocking rate and forage mass were greater in treatments with energy supplementation (ORVS and ORS), thus presenting greater sward heights compared to the treatment without supplementation. There was greater participation of oats and ryegrass when vetch was absent (ORS). The presence of supplement (ORS and ORVS) increased the presence of oat stem. The presence of the supplement caused the contribution of the vetch to be lower, likely because of the higher animal load of these treatments. The higher presence of vetch increased crude protein content in the ORV treatment. The ORS exhibited greater gain per area compared to the ORV. Supplemented animals had lower grazing and greater idle time. The ORS treatment animals spent more time in other activities and consumed supplementation and less time grazing than the other treatments. The absence of supplement (ORV) caused the animals to spend more time grazing. Animals not supplemented showed a higher duration of daily chewing, number of chews per minute, number of daily chews, daily number of bites, and station numbers.

Backgrounding steers on temperate grasses mixed with vetch and/or using energy supplementation.

OBJECTIVE: The aim was to evaluate backgrounding beef steers on oat + ryegrass pastures mixed with vetch and/or using energy supplementation. METHODS: A randomized block design with three treatments and three replications was used. The treatments were: grass + supplement (oat + ryegrass + supplementation), legume + supplement (oat + ryegrass + vetch + supplementation) and grass + legume (oat + ryegrass + vetch). A continuous grazing system with a variable stocking rate was used. Twenty-seven intact crossbred steers (1/4 Marchigiana, 1/4 Aberdeen Angus and 2/4 Nellore) aged 7 months old and average weight of 190 kg were used. Steers were supplemented at 1% of the body weight of ground corn. The experiment lasted 84 days, between May and August 2014. Behavioral assessments were performed two times per experimental period, for 24 hours. RESULTS: The forage mass was different between treatments, being greater for steers fed without legume. The accumulation rate, forage allowance, and stocking rate did not differ between treatments due to the adequate adjustment of forage allowance. The final weight of animals, as well as the dry matter intake (kg/d), did not differ between treatments. However, forage intake was higher for non-supplemented animals in relation to supplemented steers. Supplement intake did not alter the total digestible nutrient intake due to pasture quality. Animals fed grass + supplement had higher live weight gain per area than those fed grass + legume. Animals without supplementation spent more time in grazing. CONCLUSION: Feeding behavior was not altered by mixing with vetch or supplementation. Non-supplemented animals started the grazing peak earlier and spent more time in grazing than those supplemented; however, the average daily gain was similar between treatments. The live weight gain per hectare was 47% higher in pastures in which the animals received supplementation compared with those mixed with vetch, a consequence of the substitutive effect.

Productive performance of Holstein calves finished in feedlot or pasture.

The use of animals from dairy farms is an alternative to meat production since it provides an increment of total income for farmers. This study aims to evaluate the performance of Holstein calves finished in two feeding systems (feedlot or pasture). Forty-three animals with 58 days old and 57 kg were divided in two treatments: 23 animals finished in feedlot with corn silage plus concentrate based on corn and soybean meal (40:60); 20 animals kept in cultivated pastures according to the period of the year: Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) and pearl millet (Pennisetum americanum) with supplementation with the same feedlot-concentrate at 1% body weight. Animals were slaughtered with 200 kg. Dry matter and nutrient intake were determined, with the use of chromium oxide for estimating pasture intake. Feedlot animals had greater total intake and total digestible nutrients, resulting in higher average daily gain (0.949 vs 0.694 kg day-1). Crude protein intake, neutral detergent fiber and feed conversion did not show significant differences. Holstein calves have improved performance when finished in feedlot.

Influences of nitrogen fertilization and energy supplementation for growth perfomance of beef cattle on Alexander grass.

This study evaluated the influences of nitrogen fertilizer and energy supplementation cattle on the growth performance of beef cattle. This study was conducted at the Federal University of Technology of Paraná, Dois Vizinhos through continuous grazing on 6.3 ha, divided into nine paddocks. The treatments were: Alexander grass +100 kg ha-1 of N (N100); Alexander grass + 100 kg ha-1 of N + 0.5 kg per 100 kg of weight live supplementation of wheat bran (N100S); and Alexander grass +200 kg ha-1 of N (N200), with an average herbage allowance of 10% for all treatments. Crossbred and non-castrated steers with an average weight of 276 ± 41 kg were used for 107 days. The crude protein from entire plant differed (P < 0.05) between treatments, with the greater value (14.8%) occurring in the N200, and the lesser value (13.3%) occurring in the N100S. The herbage accumulation rate was greater (P < 0.05) in the N200 (55.7  DM ha-1 d-1) than that in the N100S and N100 (40.0 and 39.7 kg DM ha-1 d-1, respectively). The N100S produced greater (P < 0.05) average daily weight gains (0.815 kg animal day-1) than did the N200 (0.685 kg animal day-1) and N100 treatments (0.727 kg animal day-1).

Effect of the gain rate during growing phase on the performance and characteristics of carcass and meat of super precocious steers.

The aim was to evaluate the effect of different rates of weight gain during the backgrounding on animal performance and carcass and meat characteristics of steers finished in feedlots. Thirty-six Angus steers, 12 ± 2 months of age, were backgrounded during 91 days on Aruana grass pasture (Panicum maximum cv. Aruana) managed under different stocking rates to achieve three different weight gains: HIGH ADG (average daily gain)-no feed restriction (ADG = 0.846 kg); MEDIUM ADG-moderate feed restriction (ADG = 0.456 kg); and LOW ADG-high feed restriction (ADG = 0.154 kg). To ensure the difference in ADG, we offered 0.7% live weight of concentrate feed in the HIGH treatment and a better forage supply in the MEDIUM treatment. After the backgrounding, the animals were finished in feedlot. There was no effect of the previous performance on the animals' performance in the feedlot. The LOW presented higher weight (218.9 vs. 207.9 kg) and hot (54.0% vs. 51.3%) and cold (53.5% vs. 50.5%) carcass yield than the MEDIUM, besides presenting meat with less cooking losses (15.0% vs. 18.2%), marbling (7 vs. 4.0 points), palatability (7.1 vs. 6.3 points), juiciness (7.2 vs. 6.4 points), tenderness (7.1 vs. 6.3 points), and lower shear force (5.78 vs. 8.75 kg) than HIGH. LOW ADG steers stay longer in the finishing phase but presented in general better quality carcass and meat than those with MEDIUM or HIGH during the backgrounding.

Intramuscular fatty acid composition of steers finished on oat pastures mixture with vetch or cornmeal supplementation / Composição de ácidos graxos da gordura intramuscular de novilhos terminados em pastagem de aveia consorciada com ervilhaca ou suplementados com grão de milho moído

ABSTRACT: The effects of energetic supplementation and mixture vetch (Vica sativa L.) were studied to evaluate the intramuscular fatty acid profile of steers finished on oat (Avena sativa L.) pastures. Eighteen 21-month-old crossbred steers were evaluated. The experiment was carried out in three treatments and six repetitions: oat pasture (OA), oat pasture + vetch (OA + VET), and oat pasture + supplementation (OA + SUP). Supplementation comprised the addition of corn meal at a daily dose of 1% of the animals' body weight. Steers receiving supplementation had higher lipid content in Longissimus lumborum than did those fed with OA + VET (1.25 vs 1.02%), whereas those fed with OA (1.15%) showed intermediate values. Conjugated linoleic acid levels were higher in steers fed OA (0.57%) and OA + SUP (0.59%), whereas the highest amount of omega-3 fatty acids was observed in animals fed OA + VET (3.32%). Pasture-finishing without supplementation resulted in a lower ratio of n-6:n-3 (3.14). Steers finished in oat mixture with vetch showed healthier intramuscular fat than did those finished with cornmeal supplementation; importantly, the higher the amount of PUFAs, the better n-6:n-3 ratio.

RESUMO: Os efeitos da suplementação energética e da ervilhaca (Vica sativa L.) foram estudados para avaliar o perfil de ácidos graxos intramusculares de novilhos terminados em pastagens de aveia (Avena sativa L.). Foram avaliados 18 novilhos mestiços com 21 meses de idade. O experimento foi realizado em três tratamentos e seis repetições: pastagem de aveia (OA), pastagem de aveia + ervilhaca (OA + VET) e pastagem de aveia + suplementação (OA + SUP). A suplementação compreendeu a adição de fubá na dose diária de 1% do peso corporal dos animais. Os novilhos que receberam suplementação apresentaram maior teor lipídico no Longissimus lombar do que aqueles alimentados com OA + VET (1,25 contra 1,02%), enquanto aqueles alimentados com AO (1,15%) apresentaram valores intermediários. Os níveis de ácido linoléico conjugado foram maiores em novilhos alimentados com AO (0,57%) e OA + SUP (0,59%), enquanto a maior quantidade de ácidos graxos ômega-3 foi observada em animais alimentados com OA + VET (3,32%). Animais terminados em pastagens sem suplementação apresentaram menor proporção de n-6: n-3 (3,14). Novilhos terminados em pastagem de aveia com ervilhaca apresentaram gordura intramuscular mais saudável do que aqueles terminados com suplementação de milho moído, uma vez que apresentaram maior quantidade de PUFAs e melhor a relação n-6: n-3.

Productive performance of Holstein calves finished in feedlot or pasture

ABSTRACT The use of animals from dairy farms is an alternative to meat production since it provides an increment of total income for farmers. This study aims to evaluate the performance of Holstein calves finished in two feeding systems (feedlot or pasture). Forty-three animals with 58 days old and 57 kg were divided in two treatments: 23 animals finished in feedlot with corn silage plus concentrate based on corn and soybean meal (40:60); 20 animals kept in cultivated pastures according to the period of the year: Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) and pearl millet (Pennisetum americanum) with supplementation with the same feedlot-concentrate at 1% body weight. Animals were slaughtered with 200 kg. Dry matter and nutrient intake were determined, with the use of chromium oxide for estimating pasture intake. Feedlot animals had greater total intake and total digestible nutrients, resulting in higher average daily gain (0.949 vs 0.694 kg day-1). Crude protein intake, neutral detergent fiber and feed conversion did not show significant differences. Holstein calves have improved performance when finished in feedlot.

Quantitative carcass traits of Holstein calves, finished in different systems and slaughter weights / Características quantitativas da carcaça de bezerros da raça holandesa terminados em diferentes sistemas de terminação e pesos de abate

O objetivo deste experimento foi avaliar as características da carcaça de bezerros holandeses terminados em confinamento ou em pastagem com suplementação e abatidos com diferentes pesos de abate. Os animais confinados foram alimentados com volumoso e concentrado comercial, na proporção de 40:60, sendo a silagem de milho utilizada como volumoso. O delineamento experimental foi o inteiramente casualizado, em arranjo fatorial 2x4 (dois sistemas de terminação x quatro pesos de abate). Os animais foram abatidos à medida que atingiam os pesos de abate pré-determinados (140, 180, 220 e 260kg). O sistema de acabamento não teve influência sobre o peso e rendimento de carcaça quente e fria e as perdas de carcaça, mas os animais confinados apresentaram maior espessura de gordura. Animais confinados apresentaram melhor conformação, comparados com os terminados em pastagem. À medida que aumentou o peso de abate, houve crescimento linear para peso de carcaça quente e fria, rendimento de carcaça quente e fria, conformação, medidas métricas e peso dos cortes comerciais da carcaça. O percentual do corte traseiro decresceu com o aumento do peso de abate, enquanto que a espessura de gordura apresentou resposta quadrática. Os sistemas de abate apresentaram rendimento de carcaça semelhante. As características da carcaça melhoram com o aumento do peso de abate, mas, em percentagem, são semelhantes.

The objective of this experiment was to evaluate carcass characteristics Holstein calves finished on feedlot or pasture with supplementation and slaughter weights. The feedlot calves were fed with commercial concentrate and corn silage in the ratio of 40:60. The experimental design was completely randomized in a factorial 2x4 (two finishing systems x four slaughter weights). The animals were different slaughter weights 140, 180, 220 and 260kg of body weight). The finishing system had no influence on the weight carcass hot and cold, yield, and losses carcass, but the feedlot animals showed higher fat thickness and better conformation. With the increase in the slaughter weight, there was a linear increase in the hot carcass weight and cold carcass yield, conformation, metric measurements and weight of commercial cuts. The percentage of hind decreased with the increase in the slaughter weight, whereas fat thickness showed a quadratic response. The finishing system showed carcass yield similar. The carcass characteristics improve with the increase in the weight, but the percentages were similar.