PSXVI-25 25-hydroxy-vitamin-D3 improves productive performance of grazing Nellore cattle during dry season

Abstract The aim with this trial was to evaluate three nutritional plans with the addition of 25-hydroxy-vitamin-D3 (HyD®) on performance of grazing Nellore steers in dry season. One hundred and twenty Nellore calves (iBW ± 267 kg; age, 9 mo) were randomly allocated to six paddocks (n = 20/paddock), in the following nutritional plans: mineral-proteic supplementation (PS; Fosbovi® Proteico 35; at 0.1% BW); PS with sodium monensin (PSM; Fosbovi® Proteico 35 M; at 0.1% BW); and mineral-protein-energetic supplementation (PES; Fosbovi® Proteico-Energético 25; at 0.3% BW); all three fed with or without addition of 1 mg/animal/d of 25-hydroxy-vitamin-D3 (HyD®), totaling six treatments. Both HyD® and supplements were provided by DSM Nutritional Products Brasil S.A. The intake and animal weight were collected daily and individually using an automatic feeder/scale system located in each paddock. Data were analyzed using the mixed procedure of SAS and means were compared by orthogonal contrasts (P < 0.05). Animals fed PSE, when compared to PSM and PS, presented higher ADG (PSE = 0.290 vs. PSM= 0.130 and PS = 0.030 kg/day; P < 0.01), FBW (PSE = 302.5 vs. PSM = 282.6 and PS = 271.7 kg; P < 0.01) and supplement intake (PSE = 1.640 vs. PSM = 0.190 and PS = 0.210 kg/day; P < 0.01). Additionally, regardless of nutritional strategy, HyD® supplementation increased ADG in 32 g/day (0.165 vs. 0.133 kg/day; P = 0.05) and FBW in 3.9 kg (287.5 vs. 283.6 kg; P = 0.05), compared to not-supplemented calves. No effects on supplement intake (either expressed in kg/day or %BW) were observed for HyD®. We conclude that 1 mg of HyD® can optimize performance of protein and protein-energetic supplemented cattle raised in tropical conditions during dry period.