In this article we research the influence of different sources of carbohydrates (corn, soybean hulls or wheat bran) upon the digestive behavior of 24 confined castrated steers with an initial average age and weight of 20 months and 330 kg born from the cross between Charolais and Nellore. The diet was composed of 40% sorghum silage and 60% concentrate. The time spent on total ruminating (an average of 454.6 min/day) was not influenced by the source of carbohydrate. The animals from the wheat bran treatment spent less time idle (718 min) in relation to those on the corn and soybean hulls treatments, which did not differ between themselves (an average of 792 min/day). The steers from the wheat bran treatment remained less time feeding (184 min/day) compared with those fed the other treatments, whose average time of permanence in this activity was 214 minutes per day. The other studied variables did not present a significant difference between the treatments. Inclusion of wheat bran in the diet of the confined steers results in less spent time idle, while steers feeding on soybean hulls spend less time feeding. The use of corn, soybean hulls, or wheat bran in the diet of the confined steers does not affect the total cudding time.

Com esta pesquisa, objetivou-se avaliar o valor nutritivo e a composição química da forragem de leguminosas consorciadas com o capim elefante (CE) + espécies de crescimento espontâneo (ECE) + azevém anual (AZ) + amendoim forrageiro (AF), como tratamento T1; e CE + ECE + AZ + trevo vermelho (TV), como T2. O CE foi estabelecido em linhas afastadas a cada 4 m. O azevém anual foi estabelecido entre as linhas do CE durante o período hibernal; o TV foi semeado e o AF foi preservado. O experimento foi realizado entre outubro de 2009 e abril de 2010, sendo realizados seis pastejos. Foram coletadas amostras de forragem das leguminosas, simulando o pastejo, para determinação dos teores de matéria orgânica (MO), proteína bruta (PB), fibra em detergente neutro (FDN), digestibilidade in situ da matéria orgânica (DISMO), fenóis totais (FT), taninos totais (TT) e taninos concentrados (TC). Os valores médios de MO, PB, FDN, DISMO, FT, TT e TC foram de 90,8; 20,96; 48,38; 86,68; 1,92; 1,42 e 1,39%; e de 91,84; 21,41; 41,36; 85,18; 1,90; 1,31 e 0,17% para o amendoim forrageiro e trevo vermelho, respectivamente. Valores superiores (p < 0,05) foram observados no teor de TC da forragem do amendoim forrageiro.

With this study, we aimed at evaluating the nutritional value and chemical composition of forage legume intercropping with elephant grass (EG) + spontaneous growth species (SGS) + annual ryegrass (AR) + peanut forage (PF), as treatment T1; and EG + SGS + AR + red clover (RD), as T2. The EG was planted in 4-m spaced rows. The annual ryegrass was planted between the EG rows during the cool season; the RC was sowed and the PF was preserved. The experiment was performed between October 2009 and April 2010, with six grazing cycles. Samples of forage legume was collected, under simulated the grazing, to determine the levels of organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), organic matter in situ digestibility (OMISD), total phenols (TF), total tannins (TT), and condensed tannins (CT). The mean values of OM, CP, NDF, OMISD, TF, TT and TC were 90.8, 20.96, 48.38, 86.68, 1.92, 1.42 and 1.39%; and 91.84, 21.41, 41.36, 85.18, 1.90, 1.31 and 0.17% for peanut forage and red clover, respectively. Higher values (p < 0.05) were observed in the level of CT of peanut forage.

O objetivo desta pesquisa foi avaliar três sistemas forrageiros (SF) com capim elefante (CE) Pennisetum purpureum Schum., cv. 'MerckeronPinda' + espécies de crescimento espontâneo (ECE) + azevém anual (AZ) Lolium multiflorum Lam., cv. 'Comum', como SF1; CE + ECE + AZ + amendoim forrageiro (AF) Arachis pintoi Krap. e Greg., cv. 'Amarillo', como SF2; e CE + ECE + AZ + trevo vermelho (TV) Trifolium pratense L., cv. 'Estanzoela 116', como SF3. O CE foi estabelecido em linhas afastadas a cada 4m. O azevém anual foi estabelecido entre as linhas do CE durante o período hibernal; o TV foi semeado e o AF foi preservado nos respectivos tratamentos. Para avaliação, foram usadas vacas da raça Holandesa que receberam 5,5kg dia-1 como complemento alimentar. Foram avaliadas a taxa de acúmulo diário de matéria seca (TA), a massa de forragem desaparecida (MFD), a matéria seca desaparecida com base em 100kg de peso vivo (MSD) e a produção de forragem (PF), as composições botânica e estrutural do CE. O delineamento experimental foi o inteiramente casualizado, com três tratamentos (SF) e duas repetições (piquetes) em parcelas subdivididas no tempo (pastejo). Durante o período experimental (341 dias), foram efetuados nove ciclos de pastejo. Os valores médios de TA, MFD, MSD e PF foram de 53,16kg ha-1; 36,13%; 2,77kg de matéria seca por 100kg de peso vivo e 17,80t ha-1. Para a variável ECE, houve aumento significativo no SF1. Considerando a carga animal, o SF3 apresentou melhor desempenho.

The objective of this research was to evaluate of tree pasture-based systems (PS) with elephantgrass (EG) Pennisetum purpureum Schum., cv. 'Merckeron Pinda' + spontaneous growing species (SGS), annual ryegrass (RG) Lolium multiflorum Lam., cv. 'Comum', for PS1; EG + SGS + forage peanut (FP) Arachis pintoi Krap. e Greg., cv. 'Amarillo', for PS2; and EG + SGS + RG + red clover (RC) Trifolium pratense L., cv. 'Estanzoela 116', for PS3. EG was planted in lines with a distance of 4m each one of them. Ryegrass was sowed between rows of EG during the cool-season; red clover was sowed and the forage peanut was preserved on respectively treatments. Holstein cows receiving 5.5kg daily-1 complementary concentrate feed were used. The dry matter daily accumulation rate (DMA),disappearance of forage mass (DFM),dry matter disappeared based on 100kg of live weight (DMD),total dry matter production (TDM), botanical composition and structural component of EG were evaluated. The experimental design used was completely randomized with tree treatments (SF) and two replicates (paddocks) in incomplete split-plot time (grazing cycles). Nine grazing cycle were performed during the experimental period (341 days). The average values of DMA, DFM, DMD and TDM were 53.16kg ha-1, 36.13%, 2.77kg of dry matter per100kg of liveweight and 17.80t ha-1, respectively. SGS parameter increased significantly over in the PS1. Considering the stocking rate the PS3 showed a better performance.

The objective of this research was to estimate three pasture-based systems mixed with elephantgrass + spontaneous growth species, annual ryegrass, for pasture-based system 1; elephantgrass + spontaneous growth species + forage peanut, for pasture-based system 2; and elephantgrass + spontaneous growth species + annual ryegrass + red clover, for pasture-based system 3. Elephantgrass was planted in rows 4 m apart from each other. During the cool-season, annual ryegrass was sown in the alleys between the rows of elephantgrass; forage peanut and red clover were sown in the alleys between the elephantgrass according to the respective treatment. The experimental design was totally randomized in the three treatments (pasture-based systems), two replicates (paddocks) in completely split-plot time (grazing cycles). Holstein cows receiving 5.5 kg-daily complementary concentrate feed were used in the evaluation. Pre-grazing forage mass, botanical composition and stocking rate were evaluated. Samples of simulated grazing were collected to analyze organic matter (OM), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), crude protein (CP) and organic matter in situ digestibility (OMISD). Nine grazing cycles were performed during the experimental period (341 days). The average dry matter values for pre-grazing and stocking rate were 3.34; 3.46; 3.79 t/ha, and 3.28; 3.34; 3.60 AU/ha for each respective pasture-based system. Similar results were observed between the pasture-based systems for OM, NDF, CP and OMISD. Considering forage mass, stocking rate and nutritive value, the pasture-based system intercropped with forage legumes presented better performance.