Supplementation of female calves in creep feeding system and productive and nutritional parameters of beef cows on tropical pasture

Abstract

The performance of female calves in creep-feeding system receiving only mineral mixture or multiple supplements; and milk production and pasture intake and digestibility of beef cows on Urochloa decumbens pastures, were assessed. Forty-eight suckling female calves aged 5 months on average, with an initial weight of 125.4 ± 1.34 kg, and their respective mothers initially weighing 435.2 ± 10.3 kg, were used. The experimental design was completely randomized. Supplements contained approximately 25% crude protein (CP) and a progressive substitution of soybean meal (SM) by cottonseed meal 38% protein (CM) at the levels of 0, 33, 67 and 100% for treatments CM0, CM33, CM67 and CM100, respectively. Urea was added to supplements in order to adjust the protein content of the supplements .In the control-group (MM) animals were fed only mineral mixture, ad libitum. The average daily gain (in g) was 687.8, 733.2, 820.0, 760.6 and 764.5, respectively, for treatments MM, CM0, CM33, CM67 and CM100. Female calves supplemented with multiple supplements showed highest weight gain. No effect of CM levels in the multiple supplement were verified (P>0.10) on average daily gain. The intakes in kg/day of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), non-fibrous carbohydrates (NFC), digested DM and total digestible nutrients were superior (P<0.10) for animals supplemented with multiple supplement in relation to control animals. Total apparent digestibility coefficients of DM, OM, CP and NFC were higher (P<0.10) for supplemented animals. The use of supplementation for female calves did not affect performance of cows, milk yield or ingestion of dietary components (P>0.10). As a conclusion, utilizing multiple supplements in the pre-weaning period provides highest weight gain to female calves.