Performance of Nellore cattle under two grazing management systems.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of grazing intensification on birth weight (BW), weaning weight (WW, standartized to 205 days), average daily gain weight (BW), weight (ADG), and gestation length (GL) of calves, cow weight at at weaning (CCW), and BW/CWC (BWR), WW/CWC (WWRC) and WW/CWW (WWRW) ratios. One hundred and sixty eight nellore calves born in 1998 and 1999, out of dams maintained in two grazing management systems were evaluated: an extensive 1.0 animal unity (AU) ha system on unfertilized brachiaria decumbens pasture (SR); and intensive rotational 5.0AU. ha system on fertilized brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu and cow-calf feed suplementation during dry season(SI). Analyses of variance showed significant (P<.01) system effect onCWW and CCW, independently of year of birth of calf, a significant (P<.05 and P<.01) year of birth x system interaction effect on WW, ADG, BWR, WWRC and WWRW and no effect at all on BW, CWC, CCC and GL. REsultssuggest that benefits of intensification were throgh improving production per hectare and not per animal.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	CORREA, L. de A., ALENCAR, M. M. de, BARBOSA, R. T., BARBOSA, P. F., CRUZ, G. M. D., PACKER, I. U., CORDEIRO, C. A.
Other Authors:	LUCIANO DE ALMEIDA CORREA, CPPSE; MAURICIO MELLO DE ALENCAR, CPPSE; ROGERIO TAVEIRA BARBOSA, CPPSE; PEDRO FRANKLIN BARBOSA, CPPSE; GERALDO MARIA DA CRUZ, CPPSE; IRINEU U. PACKER, USP-ESALQ; CESAR ANTONIO CORDEIRO, CPPSE.
Format:	Anais e Proceedings de eventos biblioteca
Language:	Ingles English
Published:	2001-02-19
Subjects:	Production system rotational grazing, Pastejo rotacionado, Gado de Corte, Gado Nelore, Gordura, Peso, beef cattle, body weight, grazing intensity,
Online Access:	http://www.alice.cnptia.embrapa.br/alice/handle/doc/45248
Tags:	Add Tag No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!