The performance was evaluated of beef crossbred Holstein-Zebu steers, supplemented with different protein sources on pasture of Brachiaria brizantha, cv. Marandu, during the wet season. The area was divided into paddocks of 1.5 ha, with an availability of dry matter and potentially digestible dry matter of 7.46 and 4.50 t/ha, respectively. Twenty-five animals with 229 kg initial weight and 12 months of age were distributed in a complete randomized design, with five treatments and five replications. The following treatments were evaluated: mineral mix (MM) control group; soybean meal (SM) + cottonseed meal (CM) and MM; SM and MM; ground soybean grain (GGS) and MM; whole soybean grain (WSG) and MM; supplied daily on the amount of 60, 510, 460, 560 and 560 g/animal, respectively. Even without statistical significance, the animals that received the supplement showed a gain of 211 g (23.78%) greater than the animals that received only mineral mix. The use of multiple supplements based on soybean meal and cottonseed meal provided 247g/animal/day greater than the mineral mix. The supplementation with protein sources may provide additional gain during the wet season. Multiple supplementation provided economic return regardless of the protein source evaluated in relation to the control group.
beef cattle; daily gain; protein supplementation; wet season
