Partial or total data, from several works, on nutritional requirements of bovine, were utilized. In all the experiments, the comparative slaughter technique was used, with the slaughter of a representative sample of the experimental animals at the beginning of the feeding period and the determination of the empty body composition. The fat, protein, energy, Ca, P, Mg, Na and K contents retained in the animal body of each breed group were estimated by regression equations of the logarithm of protein, fat, energy, Ca, P, Mg, Na and K contents in the body, in function of the logarithm of empty body weight (EBW). The net protein, energy, Ca, P, Mg, Na and K requirements were determined by the equation Y' = b. 10ª. Xb-1, being a and b intercept and the regression coefficient, respectively, of the prediction equations of fat, protein, energy, Ca, P, Mg, Na or K contents in the body. The net energy requirement for maintenance (NEm) was estimated as the mean value for the different breed groups from all the works. The metabolizable energy efficiencies of utilization (MEEU) for maintenance (k m) and for weight gain (k f) were calculated from the relation among the net energy concentration, for maintenance or gain, respectively, in function of the ME of the diet. To analyse all the grouped data, the data from zebu and F1 (E x Z) animals, and the data from dairy crossbred and Holstein animals, the identity of models test was applied. The zebu, F1, dairy crossbred and Holstein animals EBW gain/BW gain relation were 0.96, 1.00, 0.94 and 0.86, respectively. The equations to estimate the retained protein (RP), in function of BW gain (BWG) and retained energy (RE), were: RP = - 17.6968 + 192.31 BWG - 3.8441 RE, for zebu and RP = 31.4045 + 107.039 BWG + 5.632 RE, for F1 animals. The net energy requirement for gain (NEg) can be obtained by the equations NEg = 0.0435 x EBW0.75 x EBWG0.8241, for zebu animals, and NEg = 0.0377 x EBW0.75 x EBWG1.0991, for F1 animals. The NEm mean values for zebu, F1, dairy crossbred and Holstein were 71.30; 70.77; 79.65 and 88.97, respectively. The MEEU for maintenance (k m) and for gain (k f) ranged from 0.65 to 0.63 and from 0.25 to 0.37, respectively, for diets with ME concentration varying from 2.2 to 2.7 Mcal/kg of dry matter. The P requirement was superior and Na and K were inferior than the NRC (1996) recommendations. The Ca and Mg requirements were similar to that of NRC (1996).
bull; crossbred; efficiency of energy utilization; F1; Holstein; requirement; zebu
