Body weight gain of 103 Nelore calves until 20/21 months old when weaned on cultivated pasture and supplemented during the dry period was evaluated during three years to obtain steers with body weight to be finished immediately at fedlot. At the beginning and end of supplementation period, the animals averaged body weight and age of 189.51± 21.08 kg and 254 ± 29.22 days and 242.38 ± 29.22 kg and 400 ± 31.08 days, respectively. The mean daily feed intake was 1.52 kg/head. The mean daily body weight gain in this period was of 0.377 kg and in the next rainfall season was of 0.534 kg. The correlation of body weight from the beginning to the end of supplementation and to the end of rainfall season was of 0.78 and 0.65, respectively. The highest correlations found among body weights were: at the end of the dry and rainfall period (r = 0.86); body weight and gain at the end of rainfall period (r = 0.62); body weight and gain at the end of rainfall period and total gain (0.75 and 0.71, repectively), gain at dry season and total gain (0.80). After weaning, the calves were classified into three classes: inferior (140 ± 11.37 kg), medium (187 ± 11.09 kg) and superior (219 ± 8.51 kg). The body weights at the end of rainfall season were of 271 ± 9.56 kg, 362 ± 22.75 kg and 425 ± 15.32 kg. At least 54% of the animals remained as inferior, 60% as medium and 54% as superior at the end of rainfall season. At 20/21 months old, the steers averaged body weight of 366 ± 39.04 kg and conditions to be finished in fedlot. However, there are calves weaned at six/seven months old with less than 150 kg of body weight, with lower potential to body weight gain and less conditions to be finished in fedlot even when supplemented previously.
calves; performance; rearing; stratification; weaning weight
