Utilização do farelo de soja e da farinha de peixe em associação com açúcar em suplementos para bezerras mestiças leiteiras na época das chuvas

Abstract

This study was carried out on the Seropédica Experimental Station of Pesagro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Five groups of 6 dairy heifers (Holstein/Zebu) weighing 130-150 kg were formed and were maintained for grazing in the same paddock, from January 10 to April 22 of 2004 (102 days of wet season). Four groups except the control group were supplemented with concentrate rations containing soya bean meal or fish meal mixed or not with sugar cane. The supplements were fed daily at a rate of on 0,4 % of body weight. The weight gain of the supplemented animals did not differ statistically from the control group. However, the supplementation increased the weight gain of the supplemented animals up to 21%. There was no difference in the performance of the animals supplemented with soya bean meal or fish meal. The addition of sugar cane to the supplements reduced the daily weight gain of the animals to about 17%. In obtaining moderate weight gain during the wet season, the ruminal degradability of the proteic source can be fast or slow, and the cost and availability of these feedstuffs will be the most important factor to be considered for its use. The addition of sugar cane to these supplements can be avoided, when the supplement intake is less than 0,6 kg/day.