Growth performance and carcass characteristics of Nelore Angus and Nelore Angus Guzera crossbreed cows fed with supplemented pasture during the yearling and feedlot stages

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the growth performance of two crossbreed genetic groups, ½ Nelore ½ Angus and ¼ Nelore ¼ Angus ½ Guzera, which originate from the rotational crosses of Nellore cows with Angus bulls and ½ Nellore ½ Angus cows with Guzera bulls, respectively. The growth performance was evaluated at the end of the yearling and feedlot stages, and carcass characteristics were evaluated after the slaughter. A completely randomized trial design was used, with 12 cows in each group. The yearling stage lasted 270 days, and the cattle were fed with pasture of Brachiaria brizantha 'Marandu' with 2.0 UA ha -1 and a forage allowance of 2.5 kg of dry matter (DM) per 100 kg of live weight (LW), during this stage the animals, with an average age of 365 ± 10 days, received protein and energy supplementation ad libitum. After the yearling stage, the cows were confined until they reached the age of 22-24 months and received 6.0 kg DM of sugar cane + urea and 4.0 kg DM of concentrate, with 150 g kg -1 of crude protein (CP), daily during 90 days. The daily average weight gain (DAWG) during the yearling stage was higher for the ½ Nelore ½ Angus group. The ¼ Nelore ¼ Angus ½ Guzera group reached higher slaughter weight because they had higher DAWG during the feedlot stage (1.022 vs. 728 g dia -1 ). No significant difference (P>0.05) was found between the groups when the hot carcass weights were compared. The ½ Nelore ½ Angus group reached a higher carcass weight percentage (53 vs. 50 %) and subcutaneous fat thickness (4.3 vs. 4.0 mm).

Productive, behavioral and physiological performance of feedlot Guzerat and ½ Guzerat × ½ Aberdeen Angus cattle

“…This 300 g difference demonstrates the better performance of the F1 generation originating from the cross between Bos Taurus and Bos Indicus. These results agree with those published by Mesquita, Castagnara, Oliveira and Figueiredo (2016), who also observed a higher ADG in F1 ½ Nellore × ½ Angus compared to ¼ Nellore × ¼ Angus × ½ Guzerat. Mourthé et al (2013) and Moreira et al (2015) worked with four breed groups, namely, Guzerat, F1 Guzerat × Holstein (Guzolando), F1 Guzerat × Nellore (Guzonel) and ½ Simental + Guzonel (three-cross), and obtained ADG of 1.51, 1.65, 1.39 and 1.56 kg day -1 , with the highest value found in the F1 Guzerat × Holstein cattle.…”

“…Similar yields were observed by Camargo et al (2010) in the carcass of feedlotfinished ½ Guzerat × ¼ Simental × ¼ Nellore and ½ Guzerat × ¼ Limousin × ¼ Nellore heifers: 55.43% and 53.16%, respectively. Superiority of the F1 animals from the cross between the Bos Taurus and Bos Indicus groups was also noted by Mesquita et al (2016), who evaluated the CY of ½ Nellore × ½ Angus (53%) and ¼ Nellore × ¼ Angus × ½ Guzerat (50%) animals.…”

The nutritional interrelationship between the growing and finishing phases in crossbred cattle raised in a tropical system

“…Animals supplemented with PE during the rainy season were heavier (62 kg more) than animals receiving MSR at the beginning of the finishing phase. Mesquita et al (2016) found that the initial BW in the finishing phase was negatively correlated with the daily weight gain in this period. This fact can explain the lower ADG in the finishing phase of the animals fed PE in the rainy season.…”