Nutritional evaluation of bulls receiving supplements with different protein: carbohydrate ratios

Abstract

Modern systems of beef cattle production on tropical pasture aim for continuous growth and slaughter of young animals. Thus strategic supplementation, where supplying limiting nutrients to increase pasture use, is an important way to increase weight gain across the year (Tonello et al., 2011). However, the relationship between protein:carbohydrate in a supplement determines the interactive effects between intake and diet digestibility (Souza et al., 2010). Additionally, the intensity of these effects is determined by composition of basal diet (pasture) that varies through the year. Thus, the aim of present work was to evaluate the intake and digestibility of young bulls supplemented with different protein:carbohydrates ratios grazing tropical pastures from 4 until 18 months of age.