Use of supplementation and confinement as tools to cope with periods of forage deficit pastoralists systems in Latin America

Abstract

This article presents information on supplementation and confinement as technological alternatives to increase animal performance during periods of forage deficit in pastoral systems of Latin America. The use of these alternatives with animals in the initial phase of growth, could improve the conversion of food in relation to its use with finishing animals. Under this approach, data are presented on supplementation with energy-protein concentrates to minimize losses and obtain moderate gains around 200 g/day, with conversion of the supplement around 4 kg of MS/kg of additional live weight gain, in calves grazing natural field during the period of forage deficit. Alternatively, information is presented on the total confinement of calves to maximize live weight gains, during the period of forage shortages, from which weight gains of about 1 kg/day are obtained with a feed conversion of 5:1 kg. The technical coefficients on the use of supplementation and confinement in calves presented in this work constitute inputs to feed simulation models that allow evaluating the impact of these alternatives at the level of the entire production system.