title: Performance of beef heifers supplemented with sodium lasalocid.
abstract: This study was conducted on 78 13-month-old crossbred beef heifers that weighed 215 kg in Southern Rio Grande do Sul (RS) State, Brazil. We evaluated the performance of beef heifers that were reared in a pasture system that received a mineral supplement energy-type protein with added sodium lasalocid (LAS). The heifers were randomly and uniformly divided into 2 groups, with 39 animals in each group. One group of animals received a mineral supplement energy-type protein without sodium lasalocid (CON), and the other group received a mineral supplement energy-type protein with added LAS. The mean feed intake, the body weight (BW), the average daily gain (ADG), the body condition score (BCS), and ovarian cyclicity were recorded, and economic parameters were calculated. No differences in supplement intake were observed between the groups, which ensures adequate intake of the other components of the mineral mixture, which are part of the nutritional requirements for the production process. Similarly, no difference in the ADG was observed between treatments. We observed that the heifers in the LAS group had a higher BW gain (51 kg) that the CON heifers (40 kg; P < 0.05). In addition, LAS-supplemented heifers had a higher BCS (3.53) than CON heifers (3.38) at the end of the experiment (P < 0.05). The heifers supplemented with LAS had a higher profitability than the CON heifers, even with the higher cost of the supplement containing LAS; this effect was due to the higher live BW at the end of the study. We concluded that the administration of a mineral supplement energy-type protein with added LAS has beneficial effects on beef heifers in terms of production and economic feasibility.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Agronomy, Department of Animal Science, Núcleo de Estudos em Sistemas de Produção de Bovinos de Corte e Cadeia Produtiva - NESPRO, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul - UFRGS, Ave. Bento Gonçalves 7712, 91540-000, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Everton Dezordi
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Sartori
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Agronomy, Department of Animal Science, Núcleo de Estudos em Sistemas de Produção de Bovinos de Corte e Cadeia Produtiva - NESPRO, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul - UFRGS, Ave. Bento Gonçalves 7712, 91540-000, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Leonardo Canali
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Canellas
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Agronomy, Department of Animal Science, Núcleo de Estudos em Sistemas de Produção de Bovinos de Corte e Cadeia Produtiva - NESPRO, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul - UFRGS, Ave. Bento Gonçalves 7712, 91540-000, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|Center for Studies and Research in Agribusiness - CEPAN. Núcleo de Estudos em Sistemas de Produção de Bovinos de Corte e Cadeia Produtiva - NESPRO, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul - UFRGS, Ave. Bento Gonçalves 7712, 91540-000, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gabriel Ribas
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Agronomy, Department of Animal Science, Núcleo de Estudos em Sistemas de Produção de Bovinos de Corte e Cadeia Produtiva - NESPRO, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul - UFRGS, Ave. Bento Gonçalves 7712, 91540-000, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fernanda Gomes
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Moojen
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Agronomy, Department of Animal Science, Núcleo de Estudos em Sistemas de Produção de Bovinos de Corte e Cadeia Produtiva - NESPRO, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul - UFRGS, Ave. Bento Gonçalves 7712, 91540-000, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Helena Robatini
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Agronomy, Department of Animal Science, Núcleo de Estudos em Sistemas de Produção de Bovinos de Corte e Cadeia Produtiva - NESPRO, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul - UFRGS, Ave. Bento Gonçalves 7712, 91540-000, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. julio.barcellos@ufrgs.br.|Center for Studies and Research in Agribusiness - CEPAN. Núcleo de Estudos em Sistemas de Produção de Bovinos de Corte e Cadeia Produtiva - NESPRO, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul - UFRGS, Ave. Bento Gonçalves 7712, 91540-000, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. julio.barcellos@ufrgs.br.|Federal Univesity of Rio Grande do Sul - UFRGS, Ave. Bento Gonçalves, n.: 7.712, 91540-000, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. julio.barcellos@ufrgs.br.
authors.forename: Júlio Otávio Jardim
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Barcellos
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis; D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D002417:Cattle / Q000254:growth & development*; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D007476:Ionophores / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007832:Lasalocid / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011897:Random Allocation; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D007476:Ionophores; D007832:Lasalocid
keywords: Average daily gain; Daily intake; Economic feasibility; Growth rate