PSXIII-3 - Effects of mineral source and additive in mineral supplementation on productive performance of growing beef cattle on tropical pastures

Our objective was to evaluate the effects of mineral supplementation using the association of carboaminophosphochelates as mineral source plus Salinomycin on grazing beef cattle performance during growing phase. A total of 80 Nellore bulls (IBW = 292.72 ± 13.55 kg; Age, ~13 mo) were distributed in 8 paddocks (~2.7 hectares each) planted with Palisade Grass cv. Xaraés during the rainy to rainy-to-dry transition seasons (February to May). The experiment was a randomized complete block design (10 animals/paddock, 4 paddocks per treatment) . The mineral supplementation was provided ad libitum and treatments were: Control; Mineral supplementation containing inorganic minerals, and TM+Salinomycin = Mineral supplementation containing carboaminophosphochelates (TM, Tortuga^® Minerals) as minerals source (Cr, Se, Zn, Mn, S, Cu e Co) plus Salinomycin (~108 mg per animal/day). The supplement orts were removed and weighted daily to calculate supplement intake. The animals were weighed after a 14 h-fasting at the beginnig and end of the trial (84 days) to calculate weight gain. The paddock was considered the experimental unit and data were analyzed using PROC MIXED of SAS, whereby means were separated using the PDIFF statement (P < 0.05). Supplement intake was similar between treatments (P = 0.13). Animals supplemented with TM+Salinomycin tended to have greater final BW (358 vs. 347, P = 0.07) and increased ADG in 22,3% (0.730 vs. 0.597 kg/d, P = 0.03) compared with animals fed Control. In conclusion, the combination of carboaminophosphochelates minerals plus salynomicin improves grazing beef cattle weight gain, with no deleterious effect on mineral supplement intake.