Organic additives in concentrate supplementation of beef cattle grazing

Abstract

Organic additives have relevant potential for substitution of antibiotic or ionophorus used in supplements of beef cattle on grazing to increase the heard efficiency and also to avoid sanitary and environmental problems. Thirty zebu cattle of Nellore breed with average initial body weight of 228 +/- kg and approximately 12 months of age were designed in a total random experiment, remaining groups of five animals in six areas of 1.0 ha each of Brachiaria brizantha grass to evaluate the performance in grazing beef cattle with the use of organic additives in the protein-energy supplementation. The treatments were three types of supplements (600 g/animal/d): SC = Control supplement, comprehending a commercial supplement, Premiphos Campo Extra; AGE = SC added an organic mix of commercial essential fatty acids, the Fator Premium and AGEF = AGE supplement added with phosphatidylcholine. The experiment was conducted during the rainy season in 87 d with 28 d earlier as adjustment period. There was no significant difference in average weight gain among the animals supplemented with AGE (826.4 g /d) and AGEF (863.2 g /d), but they had superior performance (P<0.05) those animals receiving SC (731,0 g /d). The use of organic additive AGE and the same associated with phosphatidylcholine increased the average daily weight gain of 13 and 18%, respectively, in cattle on Brachiaria brizantha grass pasture with protein-energy supplementation during the rainy season period, indicating improvement in the animal performance in these conditions.