Theme 2-1: Forage Production and Utilization--Oral Sessions
Breeding Cows Body Condition and Dry Matter Availability in Natural Pastures under Rotational System
Description
The livestock production in Rio Grande do Sul is based on natural pastures, which suffer great productive seasonality throughout the year, especially due to the quantitative and qualitative deficit that it goes through in the winter months. The existing dynamic between the animal and the forage is fundamental for a better reproductive performance of the brood cows, and consequently an increase of the productivity of beef cattle. The calf herd generation is, certainly, the fundamental element of the full cycle livestock. Knowing the potentiality and understanding the dynamism of the natural fields is a fundamental condition for the choice of adequate handling methods. The present work had as an objective the analysis of the existing correlations between the availability and quality of dry matter of natural pastures in relation to the body conditions of brood cows under a rotation pasture regime. The experiment was conducted in Santana do Livramento/RS, and comprised the period of March to October, 2019. For the determination of the forage mass, visual estimation and double sampling techniques were simultaneously used. The systematization of the experimental area and rotation order of the pickets were determined through a tool developed by the National Institute of Farming Investigation (INIA). The animals were visually evaluated through the body condition score (BCS). The results obtained regarding the availability of dry matter in kg/DM/ha were: 1594, 1159, 2332, 1464, 1048 and 2022. The measurements regarding the proportion of green matter on offer (%) prior to grazing of the animals, were: 65, 45, 35, 70, 70 and 55. The BCS evaluations at the end of each month were 2.98, 2.46, 2.73, 2.85, 3.15 and 3.15. The general body condition followed the trends in GM proportion (%, an indicator of quality) and the variation of DM/ha (quantity), and despite the physiological stage of the animals, there was a BCS evolution.
Included in
Breeding Cows Body Condition and Dry Matter Availability in Natural Pastures under Rotational System
The livestock production in Rio Grande do Sul is based on natural pastures, which suffer great productive seasonality throughout the year, especially due to the quantitative and qualitative deficit that it goes through in the winter months. The existing dynamic between the animal and the forage is fundamental for a better reproductive performance of the brood cows, and consequently an increase of the productivity of beef cattle. The calf herd generation is, certainly, the fundamental element of the full cycle livestock. Knowing the potentiality and understanding the dynamism of the natural fields is a fundamental condition for the choice of adequate handling methods. The present work had as an objective the analysis of the existing correlations between the availability and quality of dry matter of natural pastures in relation to the body conditions of brood cows under a rotation pasture regime. The experiment was conducted in Santana do Livramento/RS, and comprised the period of March to October, 2019. For the determination of the forage mass, visual estimation and double sampling techniques were simultaneously used. The systematization of the experimental area and rotation order of the pickets were determined through a tool developed by the National Institute of Farming Investigation (INIA). The animals were visually evaluated through the body condition score (BCS). The results obtained regarding the availability of dry matter in kg/DM/ha were: 1594, 1159, 2332, 1464, 1048 and 2022. The measurements regarding the proportion of green matter on offer (%) prior to grazing of the animals, were: 65, 45, 35, 70, 70 and 55. The BCS evaluations at the end of each month were 2.98, 2.46, 2.73, 2.85, 3.15 and 3.15. The general body condition followed the trends in GM proportion (%, an indicator of quality) and the variation of DM/ha (quantity), and despite the physiological stage of the animals, there was a BCS evolution.
