Abstract

ASCANIO, G. N. D et al. Effect of the supplementation with a ruminal protein activator on weight gain of steers fed rice straw. Cuban J. Agric. Sci. [online]. 2016, vol.50, n.2, pp. 215-224. ISSN 2079-3480.

In order to evaluate the animal response to supplementation with a ruminal protein activator to steers consuming rice straw rolls, an amount of 27 animals of 160 kg were used, distributed into three treatments (rice straw, rice straw + 200g of ruminal protein activator and rice straw + 400 g of ruminal protein activator.animal.d^-1). A random blocks design was applied, with three animals per treatment and three repetitions. Mean composition was 4.9 and 45.2 % of crude protein and 61.5 and 20.3 % of neutral detergent fiber for rice straw rolls and the ruminal protein activator, respectively. The control animals, fed only rice straw rolls, lost weight (-0.09 kg.animal.d^-1). Treated groups gained 0.242 and 0.325 kg.animal.d^-1 (P <0.001) for low and high doses, respectively, although without differences among them.  The intake of rice straw rolls increased in 16 % in the treatments supplemented with the activator (P < 0.01), but not  between doses. Final efficiency of the use of the activator was 1 g of ruminal protein activator per 1 g of daily weight gain. It is recommended the doses of 1.16 g of ruminal protein activator per kilogram of liveweight

Keywords : protein supplementation; low quality forages; protein activator.

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