The objective of this trial was to evaluate the effects of different levels of supplementation on dry matter intake and of ruminal pH and ammonia content of growing steers grazing Brachiaria brizantha, during the dry to rainy transition season, from April to June 2003. Five ruminally fistulated steers averaging 15 months old and initial weight of 271 kg were assigned to a 5x5 Latin square design. The treatments were as follows: control (mineral salt) and supplements fed at different levels (0.125, 0.25, 0.50, and 1.0% body weight/animal/day) and contained corn and soybean meal formulated to yield 24% crude protein. The voluntary intake was calculated by the relation between the amount of fecal dry matter excreted by using both external (chromium oxide) and internal (indigestible acid detergent fiber) markers. It was observed difference on dry matter forage intake by increasing the levels of supplementation. The control group showed higher dry matter intake (9.27 kg/day), with no difference among the supplementation levels. The most evident decrease of forage intake was observed at 1.0% BW (1.95% BW), with no change on average daily gain. Observed replacement and additive effects increased stocking rate by 16, 25, 27 and 32%, respectively, at 0.125, 0.25, 0.5% and 1.0% BW. The pH values for all treatments averaged 6.2, below which inhibit fiber digestion. The ruminal ammonia contents of the supplemented animals were always higher than the threshold value of 10 mg/dL that maximize microbial growth and ruminal digestibility in tropical conditions.
associative effect; brachiaria; pH; protein supplementation; ruminal ammonia; soybean meal
