Resumen

MOLINA, Fabiola; CARMONA, Daniel  y  OJEDA, Álvaro. Evaluation of compensatory growth as management strategy in grazing beef cattle. Zootecnia Trop. [online]. 2007, vol.25, n.3, pp.149-155. ISSN 0798-7269.

ABSTRACT The effect of restricted feed offered over growing beef cattle performance was evaluated in 77 whole crossbred Bos taurus x Bos indicus aged 1.5-2 years and 256.4 kg weight, grazed on paddocks with cultivated grasses mainly. Considering information about live weight taken 193 days before the experiment, during 124 days (August to December), animals with previous positive nutritional balance  (n = 24; Control) or with feeding restriction carried previously (n = 16, RA), were assigned on paddocks that guaranteed a positive live weight variation until the experiment ended, and animals with previous positive nutritional balance (n = 22; ARA) or with previous restricted feeding (n =15; RR) were managed during the first 62 days under a restriction offer of pasture that guaranteed weight gain at 41% approximately showed by the Control, and then the animals were re-feeding until the end of the experiment. During restriction phase, RR showed a daily weight gain lower than the Control (0.342 vs. 0.793 kg/animal/d, respectively, P=0.001). Nevertheless, in re-feeding phase, RR showed superiority in this variable (1.107 vs. 0.875 kg/animal/d, respectively, P=0.07). It is shown that the manipulation of feed offered and the compensatory growth in grazing beef cattle can be strategies to maximize the efficiency use of fibrous resources and they could be managed in reiterated nutritional stress condition in which the beef cattle are involved under tropical conditions

Palabras clave : Compensatory growth; beef cattle; grazing.