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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 65(11)

The influence of concentrate supplementation during the dry and rainy seasons on performance of young Nellore bulls grazing tropical grass pastures

Evellyn Aryanne Lopes Diniz A , Terry Eugene Engle B , Edenio Detmann C , Natália Gomes Lacerda A , Kharina Romana da Silva Santana A , Robson Guilherme Rodrigues Ribeiro A , João Paulo Pacheco Rodrigues https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1140-1259 D , Kaliandra Souza Alves A , Luis Rennan Sampaio de Oliveira A , Jenifer Maira Lima Ramos A , Rafael Mezzomo A and Daiany Iris Gomes https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7850-3650 A *
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Department of Animal Science, Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia, Campus Parauapebas, Pará 68515−000, Brazil.

B Department of Animal Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.

C Department of Animal Science, Universidade Federal de Vicşosa, Vicşosa, Minas Gerais 36570−000, Brazil.

D Instituto de Zootecnia, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro 23890−000, Brazil.

* Correspondence to: daiany.i.gomes@gmail.com

Handling Editor: Robert Dixon

Animal Production Science 65, AN24375 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN24375
Submitted: 15 November 2024  Accepted: 27 June 2025  Published: 24 July 2025

© 2025 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing

Abstract

Context

In the tropics, there is a substantial demand for a broader understanding of the impact of supplementation strategies on animal growth.

Aims

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of different concantrate supplementation strategies during the dry, rainy, or both seasons on intake, digestibility, performance, and carcass weight of young Nellore bulls.

Methods

Twenty-eight young Nellore bulls with an initial average liveweight (LW) of 327 ± 4.2 kg of were used. Animals had ad libitum access to a Urochloa brizantha pasture and a mineral mixture sequentially in dry and rainy seasons. Treatments consisted of the following four concentrate supplementation strategies: (1) no concentrate supplementation (−/−); (2) 8 g/kg LW in rainy season (−/+); (3) 8 g/kg LW in dry season (+/−); and (4) 8 g/kg LW in both dry and rainy seasons (+/+).

Key results

Forage intake was lesser (P < 0.05) in cattle fed +/+ when contrasted against all other supplementation strategies. In the dry season, concentrate supplementation increased (P < 0.04) LW gain from 0.40 to 0.74 kg/animal.day. Considering performance in both the dry and rainy seasons, all supplementation strategies increased (P < 0.05) total LW gain, hot carcass weight, carcass fat and muscle when compared with the negative control treatment −/−. Bulls receiving +/+ had greater (P < 0.05) total LW gains and hot carcass weights than did −/+ and +/− treatments. Directly contrasting −/+ and +/−, supplementation in the rainy season tended (P < 0.10) to increase total LW gain and hot carcass weights.

Conclusions

Under the conditions of this experiment, concentrate supplementation decreased forage intake but increased LW gain, hot carcass weight and carcass quality. Concentrate supplementation in both the dry and rainy seasons provided greater LW gain and hot carcass weights than did concentrate supplementation during only the dry or rainy seasons. Concentrate supplementation only during the rainy season produced greater hot carcass weights and LW gains than did concentrate supplementation only during the dry season.

Implications

To achieve maximum LW gains and hot carcass weights, concentrate supplementation should be provided during both dry and rainy seasons. If supplementation costs are a limiting factor, concentrate supplementation during the rainy season is likely to provide greater LW gains and carcass weights than does concentrate supplementation only during the dry season. However, pasture nutritive value, carcass prices and supplement costs must be evaluated before selecting a supplementation strategy.

Keywords: beef carcass, beef cattle, cattle growth, grazing, nutrition, pasture, restriction, supplements.

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