Influence of the production system based on cultivated pastures and supplementation on the productive performance of male cattle of different breeds

Luis García Pérez
Empresa Agropecuaria MININT, Matanzas

ABSTRACT
A research was conducted under production conditions in order to study the productive performance and the carcass yield of three grazing cattle gentotypes. Forty-five yearlings, 12-14 months old, with 140 kg of live weight, were used, divided into three groups of 15 animals each, according to a completely randomized design. The treatments were constituted by genotypes Zebu (Z), F1 Holstein x Zebu (HZ) and Mambí de Cuba (M). They grazed in an area of grasses in the same management group, received mineral salts at will and supplementation with corn distillery residue (Northgold) and wheat bran. There were significant differences (p < 0,05) in the live weight gains (kg/day) in favor of Z, with values of 0,554; 0,537 and 0,452 for Z, HZ and M, respectively. The weight of the carcass significantly differed (p < 0,05) among the three genotypes (220,5; 210,0 and 188,0 kg) but in the carcass yield there were no significant differences, with values between 47,5 % (Mambí) and 48,7 % (Zebu). In the total beef production there were significant differences among the genotypes (p < 0,05), with 130,8 kg for Z and values of 121,7 and 113,5 kg for HZ and M, respectively. The beef yield after deboning was higher (p < 0,05) for M with 60,3 %, while for HZ and Z it was 57,9 and 59,3 %, respectively. The fattening feasibility under grazing of the three genotypes under commercial production conditions was proven, where Z and HZ were finished as animals of category I for the sale to the slaughterhouse.