10.6084/m9.figshare.5863485.v1 Luis Carlos Vinhas Ítavo Luis Carlos Vinhas Ítavo Alexandre Menezes Dias Alexandre Menezes Dias Camila Celeste Brandão Ferreira Ítavo Camila Celeste Brandão Ferreira Ítavo Gumercindo Loriano Franco Gumercindo Loriano Franco Maria da Graça Morais Maria da Graça Morais Andréa Roberto Duarte Lopes Souza Andréa Roberto Duarte Lopes Souza Ériklis Nogueira Ériklis Nogueira Rodrigo Gonçalves Mateus Rodrigo Gonçalves Mateus Hilda Silva Araujo Hilda Silva Araujo Gabriella Jorgetti de Moraes Gabriella Jorgetti de Moraes Marlova Cristina Mioto da Costa Marlova Cristina Mioto da Costa Alexandre Guimarães-Inácio Alexandre Guimarães-Inácio Marcus Vinicius Garcia Niwa Marcus Vinicius Garcia Niwa Mineral-nitrogen supplementation to finishing Nellore steers in deferred pasture SciELO journals 2018 Brachiaria costs Nellore performance Uruchloa 2018-02-07 11:41:44 Dataset https://scielo.figshare.com/articles/dataset/Mineral-nitrogen_supplementation_to_finishing_Nellore_steers_in_deferred_pasture/5863485 <div><p>SUMMARY The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of two protein levels in mineral-protein-energy supplements on the productivity and economic performance of Nellore steers. Ninety animals weighing 382.35±32.95 kg on average, were treated with mineral-nitrogen supplements containing 30% crude proteins (CP; 75% ground maize, 8.91 % urea and 16.09% mineral) and 40% CP (66.67 % ground maize, 11.90% urea, and 21.43% mineral). The animals were housed in two paddocks of Uruchloa brizantha ‘MG-5’ (syn. Brachiaria brizantha) and were weighed at the beginning, at 45 days, and at 94 days of the experiment, when they were slaughtered at an average weight of 451±35.38 kg. We evaluated supplement intake, weight gain and economic aspects. The 40 and 30% CP treatments significantly affected supplement intake (P<0.05), with averages of 0.69 and 2.26 kg/day, respectively. The average total weight gain was higher (P<0.01) in animals receiving the supplement containing 30 % CP (71.46 kg / animal) than in animals receiving 40% CP (64.33 kg/animal). Greater slaughter weight was attained in the animals treated with 30% CP (456.66 vs. 443.84 kg). The mineral-nitrogen supplementation in both CP levels provided satisfactory animal performance and carcass characteristics. Owing to economic considerations, it is recommended to use 40% CP mineral-nitrogen supplements on finishing steers on pasture, although success in reducing production costs of livestock ultimately depends on the variations in prices between the different regions of the country and market opportunities.</p></div>