ABSTRACT
Intake, digestibility, performance, and compensatory gain of post-weaned Guzolando (Guzerat x Holstein) heifers raised on tropical pasture

Geraldo Trindade Júnior1, Fabiano Ferreira da Silva1, Gleidson Giordano Pinto de Carvalho2, Laize Vieira Santos1, João Wilian Dias Silva1, Tarcísio Ribeiro Paixão1, Fabrício Bacelar Lima Mendes1, Elisomar André da Silva3, Dorgival Morais de Lima Júnior3*, and Robério Rodrigues Silva1
 
Compensatory growth results from a heightened conversion of nutrients from the diet into components of the animal’s body, and can be achieved through compensatory nutrition interspersed with a period of scarcity or nutritional stress. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of compensatory nutrition on the intake, apparent digestibility, weight gain, feed conversion, and compensatory gain of post-weaning Guzolando heifers on tropical pasture. Twenty crossbred heifers (5/8 dairy Guzerat × 3/8 Holstein), aged 12 mo and weighing 187 ± 13.74 kg, were used in the study. The heifers were divided into two groups: Control receiving a concentrate supplement (CS) to meet 100% nutrient requirements and compensatory nutrition (CN) receiving a CS to meet 80% nutrient requirements during the restriction period and 120% nutrient requirements during the realimentation period. Nonsignificant effect of CN on the average nutrient intake by heifers was observed. With the exception of ether extract, there was also nonsignificant effect (P > 0.05) of CN on the apparent digestibility of dietary nutrients by the heifers. Compensatory nutrition did not influence (P > 0.05) average daily gain with mean values of 726.8 and 737.9 g d-1 for the control and CN heifers, respectively. Animals subjected to the CN regime exhibited complete compensatory weight gain, without impacting the intake and digestibility of the nutritional components of the diet.
Keywords: Compensatory nutrition, feed restriction, realimentation, replacement heifers.
1Universidade Estadual do Sudoeste da Bahia, Itapetinga, Bahia, Brasil.
2Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, Brasil.
3Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido, Mossoró, Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil.
*Corresponding author (juniorzootec@yahoo.com.br).