Self-fed Supplements of Low and Medium Intake for Beef Steers Finished on Pasture

Abstract

The obstacles of using supplementation are related to the cost and labor. Self-fed supplements of low and medium intake can be an option to overcome these problems. However, the nutritive value and pasture yield are crucial to finding the right composition and amount of supplement. We evaluated productive responses of steers receiving self-fed supplements of low and medium intake on Aruana grass pasture. The animal performance, ingestive behavior, and pasture characteristics were evaluated in a completely randomized design with three treatments and three replicates. Twenty-four Aberdeen Angus steers were used as the tester animals. The dry matter intake and nutrient digestibility were evaluated in a 3 x 3 double Latin square repeated over time. The treatments consisted of mineral salt (control), supplementation for intake of 1.5 g/kg body weight (low-intake), and supplementation for intake of 4.0 g/kg body weight (medium-intake). The supplements did not influence the pasture characteristics and ingestive behavior, except the number of bites/day that was higher for the low-intake. Dry matter digestibility and forage intake were not affected by the supplementation, but the total dry matter intake increased for the medium-intake. The average daily gain, stocking rate, and fat thickness gain were higher for the medium-intake. The self-fed supplements of medium-intake increase the total dry matter intake, maximizing the performance of steers on Aruana grass.