Effect of diet synchronization based on ground corn or triticale and soybean meal or yeast on feedlot <em>Nelore</em> heifers

Abstract

The aim of this work was to compare the effect of diet synchronization based on sorghum silage, ground corn or triticale and soybean meal and yeast on the performance of 48 18-month-old Nelore heifers with 235 kg average weight, stabled for 84 days, divided into three periods (PI, PII and PIII) of 28 days. The average daily weight gain (ADG), carcass yield (CY), feed intake and conversion (intake ratio to 100 kg live weight) of DM, CP, OM, GE, NDF and ADF were evaluated. There was no interaction (p > 0.05) between diets. The ADG of yeast in PI was higher (p < 0.05) than in soybean meal. In other periods and in the final average gain there were no differences (p > 0.05) in ADG between yeast and soybean meal. There were no differences observed (p > 0.05) as for ADG in PI and PII between triticale and ground corn. However in PIII and in final average period triticale presented a higher (p < 0.05) ADG than ground corn. Feed conversion and CY did not show any difference (p > 0.05) between diets. Conversion of CP was higher (p < 0.05) for diets with triticale than with corn and for diets with soybean meal than with yeast.