Liveweight gain of grazing water buffaloes supplemented with concentrates in Marajo Island, Brazil.

摘要

32 Mediterranean buffaloes (16 males, 16 females, approximately 1 year old) were finished on a cultivated pasture of Brachiaria humidicola, stocking rate of 2 buffalo per hectare, continuous grazing, during a dry (July to December) and a rainy period (December to April), at the "Marajo" Experimental Station, of EMBRAPA/CPATU, Para, Brazil. In the dry period buffalo received concentrates containing 59% wheat (Triticum vulgare) bran, 39% oil-palm (Elaeis guineensis) cake and 2% of mineral mixture. Acompletely randomized block design was used with 2 treatments, 2 replicates and 4 buffalo per paddock. Concentrates 2 (T1) or 4 kg (T2) was given to each buffalo daily. Liveweight gain, costs and production value were evaluated. Increments in daily liveweight gains varied from 0.524 to 0.795 kg, in the dry period, and from 0.352 to 0.580 kg, in the rainy period in both treatments. T2 was not economically viable but while using T1 it was possible to increase the net income of beef production systems by 40% on cultivated pasture and increase productive and reproductive parameters, especially for females.