Study of the use of citrus fruit pulp for fattening bulls at the Citrus Fruit Enterprise “Victoria de Girón”

Bárbara Nancy Pino Díaz

ABSTRACT
This case study was conducted at the Citrus Fruit Enterprise “Victoria de Girón”, in areas of the Livestock Production Farm No. 1. The data come from a compilation of the productive results obtained during 2005, 2006 and 2007 in feedlots 2, 5 and 22. Its objective was to evaluate the most adequate feeding variant for beef production. The intake of all the feedstuffs used was studied through the offer and rejection method; the monthly weighing was used to determine the mean daily gain, daily incidences and expenses and incomes incurred. The retrospective feeding balances were performed on all the diets and the mean daily gain was calculated as main productive indicator. The effects exerted by forage quality, supplementation and the ways to apply it, and the substitution of fresh citrus pulp by silage, were evaluated. It was found that forage quality directly influences the animal response, that a better utilization of nitrogen fertilization is achieved when supplied as cake, that it is feasible to substitute fresh citrus pulp by silage to keep the diet stable throughout the year; and it was concluded that when combining two or more sources of nitrogen supplement in the diet the highest zootechnical and economic efficiencies are achieved, with better feeding conversion and higher animal response. It is recommended to establish forage areas and hay banks with adequate irrigation and fertilization that guarantee the daily supply to the animals in quantity and quality, to have specialized areas per region for the elaboration of silages, to implement the use of the cake, to promote the use of Saccharomyces and to promote the establishment in grazing areas, the introduction of forage trees and improved pastures, with adequate paddock formation in order to utilize pastures optimally to decrease the needs  to supplement with forage, hay and nitrogen sources in the diet.