What question did this study set out to answer?

This research aims to assess how varying levels of concentrate supplementation affect nutrient intake, digestion, and heifer performance.

March 29, 2026Open Access

Increasing levels of concentrate supplementation for heifers (Nellore × Angus) finished on tropical pasture

Key Points

This research aims to assess how varying levels of concentrate supplementation affect nutrient intake, digestion, and heifer performance.
Conducted a completely randomized design with 40 heifers over 134 days.
Utilized a 4x4 Latin square design with rumen-fistulated heifers for ruminal analyses.
Supplementation levels tested were 0.2%, 0.3%, 0.4%, and 0.5% of body weight.
Linear increase in total dry matter (DM), organic matter, crude protein (CP), and non-fibrous carbohydrates intake with higher supplementation.
Digestibility of neutral detergent fiber and CP decreased with increasing supplementation levels.
Concentrations of short chain fatty acids, acetate, and propionate in the rumen reduced with greater supplementation levels.
Final body weight and average daily gain were unaffected, while feed efficiency declined with higher supplementation.

Abstract

Concentrate supplementation during the finishing phase in tropical pastures improves the average daily gain and carcass characteristics of the animals.The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of increasing levels of concentrate supplementation on nutrient intake and digestibility, ruminal fermentation parameters, and the performance of heifers finished on Megathyrsus maximus (Jacq.)B.K. Simon & S.W.L. Jacobs 'Mombaa' pasture.Forty heifers ( Nellore Angus), with an average body weight of 312.65 17.95 kg and 16 mo age, were distributed in a completely randomized design.To analyze ruminal parameters, four rumen-fistulated heifers were used in a 44 Latin square design.Supplementation was provided at four levels: 0.2%, 0.3%, 0.4%, and 0.5% of body weight (BW) over 134 d.A linear increase (P 0.05) by supplementation level, but gross feed efficiency declined (P < 0.05) as supplementation increased.Increasing concentrate supplementation from 0.2% to 0.5% BW in Nellore Angus heifers finished on M. maximus 'Mombaa' pasture did not affect average daily gain but reduced feed efficiency.Therefore, lower supplementation levels (0.2% BW) are recommended.

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Cite This Study

Paixão et al. (Thu,) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69c8c15ade0f0f753b39bcd6 https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.4067/s0718-58392026000200168

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