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Objetivou-se avaliar os efeitos da suplementação com compostos nitrogenados sobre o consumo e a digestibilidade em bovinos em pastejo durante o período seco do ano. Foram utilizados cinco novilhos mestiços Holandês × Zebu, com peso vivo (PV) médio inicial de 236 kg, mantidos individualmente em piquetes de Brachiaria decumbens Stapf. (0,34 ha). Utilizou-se delineamento em quadrado latino 5 × 5, com cinco níveis de suplementação (0; 0,35; 0,75; 1,05; e 1,40 g de proteína bruta (PB)/kg PV) e cinco períodos experimentais. Como fonte de compostos nitrogenados empregou-se mistura de ureia, sulfato de amônia e albumina (4,5:0,5:1,0, respectivamente). Os níveis médios de PB nas dietas foram de 7,39; 8,92; 10,98; 12,55 e 13,62%, com base na matéria seca (MS), para os respectivos níveis de suplementação. Verificou-se relação do tipo linear-response-plateau (LRP) entre as estimativas de consumo e os níveis de PB da dieta. O comportamento do tipo LRP permitiu evidenciar aumento no consumo até níveis próximos a 9% de PB, com base na MS, a partir do qual houve estabilidade das estimativas. Os coeficientes de digestibilidade total e ruminal da MS e da fibra em detergente neutro e o nível de nutrientes digestíveis totais na dieta apresentaram relação linear e positiva com os níveis de PB na dieta. A concentração de nitrogênio amoniacal ruminal (NAR) aumentou de forma linear e positiva de acordo com os níveis de PB na dieta, com valor estimado de 8,00 mg NAR/dL, equivalente à otimização do consumo voluntário. A suplementação com compostos nitrogenados em quantidades que permitam elevar o teor de PB da dieta a níveis próximos a 9% proporciona otimização na utilização de forragem de baixa qualidade por bovinos em pastejo. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of supplementation with nitrogenous compounds on intake and digestibility in cattle under grazing during dry season. It was used five Holstein × Zebu steers with average initial live weight of 236 kg, kept in five Brachiaria decumbens Stapf. paddocks (0.34 ha). The experiment was carried out according to a 5 × 5 Latin square design, with five supplementation levels and five experimental periods. The supplementation levels were the following: 0; 0.35; 0.70; 1.05, and 1.40 g of crude protein/kg live weight. A mixture of urea, ammonium sulfate and albumin (4.5:0.5:1.0, respectively) was used as nitrogen supplement. The average crude protein levels in the diet were 7.39; 8.92; 10.98; 12.55; and 13.62%, as dry matter basis, for the respective supplementation levels. Linear-response-plateau relationships were observed between intake estimates and diet crude protein levels. The linear-response-plateau pattern showed that intake was increased up to crude protein levels close to 9%, as dry matter basis. The estimates became unchangeable from this level. The total and ruminal digestibility coefficients of dry matter and neutral detergent fiber, and diet level of total digestible nutrients presented a positive linear pattern according to diet crude protein levels. The rumen ammonia nitrogen concentration was linearly increased by diet crude protein levels. This variable assumed the value of 8.00 mg/dL when the intake estimates reached the maximum values. Supplementation with nitrogen compounds in quantities that raise the crude protein content in the diet to levels close to 9% optimizes the use of low-quality forage by cattle under grazing.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of nitrogenous compounds and/or starch supplementation on the intake, digestibility and rumen dynamics of neutral detergent fibre (NDF) in cattle fed low-quality tropical forage. Four crossbred heifers (Holstein × Zebu) with a body weight 231.9 ± 15.5 kg and fitted with ruminal cannulae were used. The forage fed to the animals consisted of low-quality signal grass (Brachiaria decumbens Stapf.) hay, with an average crude protein (CP) level of 51.6 g/kg, on a dry matter (DM) basis. Four treatments were evaluated: control, without supplementation; supplementation with nitrogenous compounds (CP of the roughage was raised to 100 g/kg), on a DM basis; supplementation with starch at a ratio of 200 g/kg DM of roughage; and supplementation with nitrogenous compounds and starch as described above. A mixture of urea, ammonium sulphate and albumin was used as a source of nitrogenous compounds at a ratio of 4.5:0.5:1.0. The experiment was carried out according to a 4 × 4 Latin square design in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. There was a positive effect of the nitrogenous compound supplementation on the DM and NDF intake (P < 0.01). In contrast, starch supplementation decreased forage intake (P < 0.10). Nitrogen supplementation increased the digestibility coefficient of DM and NDF (P < 0.05). Supplementation with nitrogen and starch together increased the microbial assimilation of nitrogenous compounds in the rumen (P < 0.05). We observed that nitrogen supplementation increased the estimated weighted degradation rate of NDF by 14.8%, whilst starch supplementation decreased this rate by 32.5%.

This work aimed to parameterize the ruminal degradation of neutral detergent fibre (NDF) from low-quality tropical forage using Michaelis–Menten kinetics. The intake, rumen outflow (L), fractional degradation rate (kd), discrete lag (LAG) and effective degradability (ED) of NDF, and the microbial flow of nitrogenous compounds into the small intestine (Nmic) were assessed in two 5 × 5 Latin square experiments by using five Holstein × Zebu heifers cannulated in the rumen. The experiments were carried out sequentially and the treatments were formed by increasing the level of supplementation with nitrogenous compounds. A low-quality signal grass (Brachiaria decumbens) hay was used as roughage. The nitrogen supplement was a mixture of urea, ammonium sulfate and albumin, at the ratios of 4.5:0.5:1.0, respectively. The crude protein contents in the diets ranged from 51.9 to 136.3 g/kg of dry matter. The rumen ammonia nitrogen (RAN) concentration was used as an independent variable. The NDF intake, L and Nmic showed a quadratic pattern (P < 0.05) as a function of RAN concentration, and the critical points (maximum responses) were observed with 15.17, 16.28, and 14.52 mg of RAN/dL of rumen fluid, respectively. On the other hand, ED and LAG presented a linear-response-plateau (P < 0.05) according to the RAN concentration, with break points close to 8 mg/dL for ED (maximum estimate) and LAG (minimum estimate). The RAN concentrations to optimize NDF degradation and intake were defined as 8 and 15 mg/dL, respectively. This difference between estimates appears to be due to a better adequacy of the metabolizable protein:metabolizable energy ratio in the animal metabolism, which increases the animal intake even after the rumen NDF degradation has been optimized. This observation was supported by Nmic pattern. An adapted Michaelis–Menten model was applied to the data, where RAN was the independent variable and kd the dependent variable. The relationship between these variables was found to be significant by using the Hanes–Woolf plot (P < 0.01). Based on this model, the rate of NDF degradation as a function of RAN concentration indicates that fibre degradation in the rumen could be considered a second order process. In this context, the RAN concentration of 8 mg/dL was assumed as the limit where zero order (below limit) and first order (above limit) reactions become predominant for NDF degradation in the rumen.

Objetivou-se avaliar os efeitos da suplementação com compostos nitrogenados sobre a dinâmica ruminal da fibra em detergente neutro (FDN) em bovinos alimentados com forragem tropical de baixa qualidade. Foram utilizadas cinco novilhas mestiças Holandês × Zebu, com peso vivo médio inicial de 180 kg, fistuladas no rúmen. A alimentação volumosa basal dos animais foi constituída por feno de capim-praquiátia (Brachiaria decumbens Stapf) (4,86% de PB, com base na MS), fornecido à vontade. Os cinco tratamentos avaliados foram definidos de acordo com o nível de suplementação protéica (0, 2, 4, 6 e 8 pontos percentuais acima do nível de PB da forragem, utilizando-se como fonte de compostos nitrogenados mistura de uréia, sulfato de amônia e albumina, nas proporções de 4,5:0,5:1,0, respectivamente. O experimento foi constituído de cinco períodos experimentais, segundo delineamento em quadrado latino 5 × 5. Os níveis médios de PB nas dietas foram de 5,19; 7,19; 8,60; 11,67 e 13,02%, com base na MS. Verificou-se elevação linear da fração potencialmente degradável da FDN até o nível de 6,97% de PB, com platô estimado de 47,87% da FDN. A taxa de degradação da fração potencialmente degradável da FDN aumentou linearmente com os níveis de PB da dieta. O fluxo ruminal de partículas fibrosas apresentou relação linear-response-plateau, com estabelecimento do platô (máximo) em 7,24% de PB. O tempo médio de retenção no rúmen-retículo e a repleção ruminal da fração indegradável da FDN apresentaram comportamento semelhante ao fluxo ruminal de partículas fibrosas, com ponto crítico para o início do platô (mínimo) em 6,90 e 6,97% de PB, respectivamente. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of supplementation with nitrogenous compounds on rumen dynamics of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) in cattle fed low-quality tropical forage. Five crossbred heifers with average live weight of 180 kg and fitted with rumen cannulae were used. The animals were fed ad libitum with signal grass (Brachiaria decumbens Stapf.) hay, which had crude protein (CP) content of 4.86% of dry matter (DM). The five treatments were proposed in order to raise the CP level of diets to 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 percentile points above the CP level of the forage. The supplement was a mixture of urea, ammonium sulfate, and albumin (4.5:0.5:1.0, respectively). The experiment was carried out according to a 5 × 5 Latin square design, with five experimental periods. The average CP levels in the diets were: 5.19, 7.11, 8.60, 11.67, and 13.02% on DM basis. The potentially degradable NDF was linearly increased according to the CP levels in diet up to 6.97% of CP. From this point, there was stabilization of estimates (47.87% of NDF). The degradation rate of potentially degradable NDF was linearly increased with the CP levels in diets. The rumen flow of fibrous particles (L) showed a linear-response-plateau pattern according to the CP levels in diets. The plateau (maximum estimate) began on 7.24% of CP. The mean retention time in the rumen and the rumen fill effect of undegradable NDF were affect by the CP levels similarly to L, with plateau (minimum) beginning on 6.90 and 6.97% of CP, respectively.