Millet grain in supplements for finishing beef cattle in integrated crop and livestock system

Abstract

The objective was to evaluate the performance and economic development of animals receiving four supplements differentiated by the levels of grain of millet as replacement for corn grain, as well as assess nutritional characteristics of pasture of Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu in integrated crop and livestock. Used 64 steers, uncastrated, 32 crossbred (Holstein x Nelore) and 32 Nelore, with 20 months average age and 388 ± 26kg initial body weight. The experiment consisted of four paddocks of 4.68 ha, formed by B. brizantha cv. Marandu. The availability of dry matter and potentially digestible dry matter was 5.24t/ha and 3.39t/ha, respectively. The work was designed as a factorial arrangement (2x4) in a completely randomized design to evaluate two genetic groups and four different levels of grain instead of millet to maize grain in the formulation of supplements (0%; 33%; 66% e 100%). The quantity supplied of 4.0kg/animal/day. A significant effect of genetic group on productive performance of animals, and that Nelore steers have better performance. The average daily weight gain, total weight gain and final body weight decreased linearly with the inclusion of millet in supplements. The replacement of 33% of the corn grain millet concentrated supplements promotes reduction in the days required to obtain animal body weight of 450kg.