An experiment was conducted to evaluate the rearing of beef heifers with different levels of wheat bran supplementation, on oat (Avena strigosa Schreb) + annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam) pasture. One hundred nine Charolais and Charolais crossbreed Nellore heifers, with initial weight (LW) of 158 kg, were used. The supplementation levels were: SS - animals fed oat + annual ryegrass without supplementation; S 0.5 - animals fed 0.5% of LW/day of supplementation; S 1.0 - animals fed 1.0% LW/day of supplementation; S 1.5 - animals fed 1.5% of LW/day of supplementation. The grazing period was from July 10th to November 02nd with continuous grazing and forage offer of 10 kg dry matter (DM)/100 kg LW. The variables studied were average daily weight gain (ADG), body condition (BC), stocking rate (SR) and weight gain per ha (LWG). The supplementation levels affected the ADG, on a different way during the pasture cycle. Average ADG wasof 0.751; 0.894; 0.809 and 0.936 kg/animal/day for SS, S-0.5, S-1.0 e S-1.5 heifers, respectively. BC gain was higher for supplemented heifers, 0.8 points vs 0.5 points for heifers maintained only on pasture. The SR increased linearly during the grazing period, for the S 1.5, resulting in greater LWG than for the SS and S 0.5. The substitution rate of forage intake by the supplement consumption and the addition on total DM intake were determinant for the supplemented heifers performance.
addition; animal production; cultivate pasture; substitution rate; wheat bran
