Ingestive behavior of beef heifers in warm season annual grass pastures

Revista Brasileira de Zootecnia

Rocha, Marta Gomes da²  Pötter, Luciana²  Oliveira Neto, Renato Alves de²  Roso, Dalton²  Souza, Alexandre Nunes Motta de¹  Glienke, Carine Lisete² 

[1] Instituto Federal Farroupilha;Universidade Federal de Santa Maria

关键词: alexandergrass;    bite rate;    feeding stations;    grazing time;    pearl millet     Introdução No Sul do Brasil;    a utilização de forrageiras tropicais vem sendo explorada para viabilizar os sistemas de criação de bovinos de corte a custos mais baixos;    contribuindo para a redução do ciclo de recria e terminação;   

DOI  :  10.1590/S1516-35982011000800006

学科分类：兽医学

来源: Universidade Federal de Vicosa

【 摘 要 】

The experiment was carried out with the objective of evaluating attributes of pearl millet (Pennisetum americanum) and Alexander grass (Urochloa plantaginea) pastures and to relate them with ingestive behavior of beef heifers. The experimental design was complete randomized, with repeated measures over time, with two treatments and two area replications. Grazing method was continuos stocking and variable number of animals to keep canopy height at 40 cm. Mass of leaf blade, stem and dead material, forage accumulation rate, leaf/stem ratio, offer of forage and leaf blade, content of neutral detergent fiber were all similar in pearl millet and Alexander grass. Alexander grass presented higher stem bulk density in the 0-15 cm stratum. The density of dead material in the 0-15 cm stratum and the densities of leaf blade, stem and dead material in 15-30 cm, 30-45 cm and more than 45 cm in height strata were similar in millet and Alexander grass. The ingestive behavior of heifers, measured by grazing, rumination and idle times, bite rate, bite weight, bite per feeding station, feeding stations per minute and rate of displacement was similar when animals were kept in pearl millet or alexandergrass pastures. Multiple regression equations, considering atributes of pasture, grazing and climate showed determination coefficients greater than 0.70 for grazing time, bite mass, bite by feeding station, feeding station per minute, rate of displacement and they can be used as predictors of the ingestive behavior of beef heifers in pearl millet or alexandergrass pastures.

【 授权许可】

CC BY-NC