摘要
Foram utilizados 40 bovinos nelores, divididos em dois grupos: SUP - os animais foram mantidos a pasto e receberam 0,5% do peso vivo em suplemento no per赤odo da seca; NSU - animais mantidos a pasto, sem suplemento. Metade dos animais de cada tratamento eram castrados e a outra metade eram inteiros. Observou-se melhor ganho m谷dio di芍riodurante o per赤odo do inverno para os animais suplementados (SUP = 0,339; NSU = 0,193 kg) e os animais pertencentes ao grupo controle (NSU) apresentaram ganho compensat車rio no per赤odo do ver o. Os animais inteiros obtiveram ganhos m谷dios di芍rios superiores aoscastrados durante todo o per赤odo (0,506 x 0,412 kg) e atingiram o peso de abate (480 kg) a uma idade mais jovem (330 x 409 dias at谷 o abate). Verificou-se melhor rendimento de carca a fria para os animais castrados. A suplementa o n o promoveu melhorescaracter赤sticas de carca a aos animais testados. Forty Nellore bovines were used. Animals were divided in two groups: 1) SUP 每 Animals on pasture and supplemented (0.5% of live bodyweight) with a concentrated during the winter (dry season), and 2) NSU 每 Animals on pasture, without supplementation. Half of the animals of each treatment was steers and the other half was bulls. Best average daily gain (ADG) during the period of the winter was observed in the supplemented animals (SUP = 0.339; NSU = 0.193 kg), and the animals belonging to the control group (NSU) presented compensatory weight gain in the period of the summer. Bulls had greater ADG during the whole period than steers (0.506 vs. 0.412 kg), and they reached the slaughter weight (480 kg) at a younger age (330 vs. 409 days up to slanghter). Best cold carcass dressing percentage was verified for steers and the supplementation did not promotebetter carcass characteristics in the tested animals.