SUMMARY The experiment evaluated the weight gain of beef calves weaned 101 days after calving, kept before weaning on cultivated winter pasture or native pasture. After early weaning, the calves were kept on a drylot and fed during 41 days, afterward they were kept on cultivated summer pasture. One control group of calves was kept on native pasture and weaned 213 days after calving. Prior to early weaning, calves kept on cultivated winter pasture had a higher weight gain (P<0.01). After early weaning, the weight gain was similar (P>0.05) for calves previously kept on cultivated winter pasture to those kept on native pasture. Calves from the control group showed a higher weight gain (P<0.05) from 101 to 213 days, than those early weaned. At the end of the experiment, when the calves of the control group were weaned (213 days after calving), the calves early weaned and previously kept on cultivated winter pasture had the highest weight (P < 0.05).
Early weaning; beef calves; weight gain; cultivated pasture; native pasture
