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

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.

Consórcio de azevém (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) com leguminosas na porção pampeana do Rio Grande do Sul: uma revisão de literatura

“…O estabelecimento de pastagens de gramíneas de ciclo hibernal (C3) pode ser empregado para suprir a carência de alimento durante estações de baixa produção vegetal, elevar a taxa de lotação animal e, consequentemente, aumentar o desempenho animal (Sichonany et al, 2016;Michalk et al, 2017). Além disso, a melhoria forrageira pode ser feita através do consórcio de gramíneas com espécies de outras famílias botânicas, cuja associação propicia o aumento da utilização de recursos (e.g., nitrogênio (N), fósforo (P)) e compensa a produtividade forrageira quando alguma outra espécie vegetal não persiste na pastagem (Fales et al, 1996).…”