Forage management and concentrate supplementation effects on performance of beef calves
Joao M. B. Vendramini A B and Philipe Moriel A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A University of Florida, Range Cattle Research and Education Center, Ona, FL 33865, USA.
B Corresponding author. Email: jv@ufl.edu
Animal Production Science 58(8) 1399-1403 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN17797
Submitted: 11 November 2017 Accepted: 12 March 2018 Published: 12 April 2018
Abstract
Proper grazing management is the most effective practice to provide adequate forage quantity and quality to cow–calf systems, and optimise beef-calf performance in tropical and subtropical regions. Supplementation of beef calves is not a commonly used management practice in beef-cattle production, primarily because calves can benefit from the cow’s milk production to offset some limitations in forage quantity and quality. Creep-feeding and supplementation of early weaned calves are the two main strategies to supplement beef calves. Creep-feeding can be used to overcome limited herbage allowance, improve calves uniformity, supply extra nutrients for calves, provide adaptation to concentrate diets before weaning, and increase weaning weight. Early weaning is an effective management practice to increase the likelihood of re-breeding of first-calf beef heifers in the south-eastern USA; however, it was observed that concentrate supplementation is necessary for early weaned calves to achieve desirable levels of gain on pasture in tropical and subtropical regions. In addition, concentrate supplementation during early stages of a calf life may permanently change calf development and performance in a process called ‘metabolic imprinting’. The metabolic imprinting concept in production agriculture is in the early stages of knowledge and further research should elucidate the benefits of this management practice in beef-cattle production.
Additional keywords: beef cattle, calf management, grazing management, ruminant nutrition.
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