Estratégias de suplementação para novilhas em pasto de capim Mombaça

Abstract

Supplementing heifers on tropical pastures requires nutritional strategies that maximize productive performance and reproductive efficiency, even in unfavorable climatic conditions for forage production. Therefore, two studies were carried out to evaluate different supplementation strategies for primiparous heifers on Mombaça grass pasture in different seasons. In the first chapter, the objective was to evaluate the effect of supplementation during three periods (autumn, winter, and spring) on the productive and reproductive performance of Nelore heifers on the Mombaça grass pasture. This study hypothesized that levels above 14% of crude protein (CP) could accelerate the productive and reproductive precocity of primiparous Nelore heifers. The supplementation strategy that contained 15% CP provided better performance of the heifers, with an increase in final body weight, total weight gain, stocking rate, and pregnancy rate, and stood out in the spring due to the improvement in the quantity and quality of available forage. associated with supplementation. In the second chapter, the objective was to evaluate three protein-energy supplementation strategies on the performance and biochemical parameters of heifers kept on Mombaça grass pasture during the rainy season. This study hypothesized that the highest level of protein-energy supplement supply would maximize productive performance without causing metabolic damage to the heifers. The results indicated that the strategy that offered 0.6% of body weight favored productive performance, with greater total weight gain and average daily gain, without causing metabolic damage, and without the need for higher levels of supply for this period.