<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
				
				<p> The objective of this study was to evaluate the impacts of castor meal, a by-product of the biodiesel industry, on growth performance and feeding behavior of heifers in a pasture production system in Northeast Brazil. Forty Holstein × Zebu crossbred heifers with an initial body weight of 257±26 kg were kept on a Brachiaria decumbens pasture under continuous grazing. The experiment lasted 140 days and was conducted in a completly randomized design with five levels of replacement of soybean meal with castor meal (0, 200, 500, 750, and 1000 g/kg of dry matter) in the supplements. Intake, digestibility, feeding behavior, performance, and carcass characteristics were evaluated. The total intakes of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), organic matter (OM), ether extract, and total digestible nutrients (TDN) decreased as the castor meal levels were increased. The digestibility coefficients of DM, CP, OM, and TDN decreased as the levels of castor meal in the supplement were increased. The castor meal levels in the supplement did not affect final body weight, average daily gain, feed conversion, hot carcass weight, or carcass dressing of the heifers. The use of supplements containing up to 1000 g/kg DM castor meal replacing soybean meal reduced the DM intake but did not change the average daily gain and feed efficiency of the heifers. Thus, the use of castor meal is a recommendable strategy to reduce production costs in a beef cattle grazing system.</p>
			</abstract>

The objective of this study was to evaluate the impacts of castor meal, a by-product of the biodiesel industry, on growth performance and feeding behavior of heifers in a pasture production system in Northeast Brazil. Forty Holstein × Zebu crossbred heifers with an initial body weight of 257±26 kg were kept on a Brachiaria decumbens pasture under continuous grazing. The experiment lasted 140 days and was conducted in a completly randomized design with five levels of replacement of soybean meal with castor meal (0, 200, 500, 750, and 1000 g/kg of dry matter) in the supplements. Intake, digestibility, feeding behavior, performance, and carcass characteristics were evaluated. The total intakes of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), organic matter (OM), ether extract, and total digestible nutrients (TDN) decreased as the castor meal levels were increased. The digestibility coefficients of DM, CP, OM, and TDN decreased as the levels of castor meal in the supplement were increased. The castor meal levels in the supplement did not affect final body weight, average daily gain, feed conversion, hot carcass weight, or carcass dressing of the heifers. The use of supplements containing up to 1000 g/kg DM castor meal replacing soybean meal reduced the DM intake but did not change the average daily gain and feed efficiency of the heifers. Thus, the use of castor meal is a recommendable strategy to reduce production costs in a beef cattle grazing system.

The Use of Castor Meal, a by-Product of the Biodiesel Industry, in a Beef Production System in Tropical Pastures

Annals of Animal Science

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the impacts of castor meal, a by-product of the biodiesel industry, on growth performance and feeding behavior of...

The Use of Castor Meal, a by-Product of the Biodiesel Industry, in a Beef Production System in Tropical Pastures

Article Category: Animal Nutrition, and Feedstuffs

Published Online: May 11, 2018

Page range: 469 - 482

Received: Aug 09, 2017

Accepted: Dec 06, 2017

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/aoas-2017-0044

Keywords
alternative feedstuffs, by-product, heifers, performance, supplement

© by Gleidson Giordano Pinto de Carvalho

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

The Use of Castor Meal, a by-Product of the Biodiesel Industry, in a Beef Production System in Tropical Pastures

Article Category: Animal Nutrition, and Feedstuffs

Published Online: May 11, 2018

Page range: 469 - 482

Received: Aug 09, 2017

Accepted: Dec 06, 2017

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/aoas-2017-0044

Keywordsalternative feedstuffs, by-product, heifers, performance, supplement

© by Gleidson Giordano Pinto de Carvalho

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Keywords
alternative feedstuffs, by-product, heifers, performance, supplement