This work aimed to study the effect of concentrate supplementation of elephantgrass pasture during the rainy season and at the beginning of the dry season, on milk yield, milk composition and weight gain of crossbred Holstein <FONT FACE=Symbol>´</FONT> Zebu cows. The treatments were: elephantgrass pasture with no concentrate supplementation (NC) and with 2kg concentrate supplementation cow/day (WC). The experimental area was divided in 44 paddocks with 606m² each, corresponding to 22 paddocks per replication and six cows per treatment. The cows were alloted to the treatments according to a completely randomized block design. The pasture was managed in a rotational system with 30 days resting period and three days grazing per paddock. The stocking rate was 4.5 cows/ha. The pasture was fertilized with 200kg/ha/yr of N and K2O. The average fat corrected (4%) milk yield was 11.6± 0.3 and 12.5± 0.3kg/cow/day and the average daily weight gain during the total experimental period was 211 and 244g per cow for the NC and WC treatments, respectively. There were differences (P<0.05) between treatments for milk yield and milk protein (%), but no treatment effects were observed on weight gain, milk fat (%) and milk total solids (%).
body weight; concentrate; elephantgrass; milk yield; rotational grazing
