Modelling supplementation strategies for beef steer rearing and fattening systems in southern chile
A mathematical model was developed to analyze beef production systems in Southern Chile. The study considered the identification of the main components of systems under different beef steer management strategies, using pasture with or without supplementation and back grounding cattle on pasture foll...
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Published in | Chilean journal of agricultural research Vol. 69; no. 2; pp. 207 - 213 |
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Main Authors | , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English Portuguese |
Published |
Chile
Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias, INIA
01.06.2009
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Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | A mathematical model was developed to analyze beef production systems
in Southern Chile. The study considered the identification of the main
components of systems under different beef steer management strategies,
using pasture with or without supplementation and back grounding cattle
on pasture followed by a winter period of confined feeding with pasture
silage and concentrates. Validation of model outputs using 200 kg LW
Hereford steers against real experimental data showed no significant
differences (P ≥ 0.01) between simulated and observed final
weights. In order to analyze the interaction between the stocking rate
(SR) and supplementation, three SR of 2, 2.5 and 3 steers ha -1 with
and without pasture silage supplementation at the rate of 5 kg DMd -1
steer -1 for the length of the entire period were simulated. Means were
compared by the least significant difference (LSD, P ≤ 0.05).
Significant differences were found in terms of final weights, which
decreased with increasing SR regardless of the supplementation level,
although silage supplementation tended to reduce differences between
SR. A second set of simulation runs was carried out to simulate on-farm
finishing of the steers through a final phase of confined feeding based
on a ration of silage and concentrates. Final weights differed between
SR and systems and results showed that the optimum corresponded to 2.5
steers ha -1 , since at this SR the largest income corresponded to the
smallest mean cost. It is concluded that a stocking rate of 2.5 steers
ha -1 is feasible if winter supplementation is available, independently
of a finishing period in feedlot. |
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Bibliography: | 10.1590/S0718-58392009000200010 http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0718-58392009000200010 |
ISSN: | 0718-5820 0718-5839 0718-5839 |
DOI: | 10.4067/S0718-58392009000200010 |