ABSTRACT
Evaluation of beef cattle systems in the Biobío Andes foot-hills. I. A system using subterranean dover as only feeding resource

Germán Klee G.1, Ignacio Ruiz N.2 y Hernán Acuña P.3
 

At the foot-hills of the “Cordillera de los Andes”, in the province of Biobío, Chile, during three oonsecutive seasons (1979-80, 1980-81 and 1981-82) an evaluation of a beef cattle production system was done, utilizing subterranean dover (Trifolium subterraneum L.) cv. Mount Barker as the only feeding resource. In the system of 27.3 ha, a Hereford herd was used and threesubsystems were included: a) cowsand their calves, b) replacement heifers and c) bullocks, from weaning to 18-month-old. During the first cycle, the whole herd was supplemented during winter with roughage harvested within the system. Later, only calves were supplemented during winter. A continuous grazing was utilized and the nonpregnant cows were replaced by pregnant heifers. Non adjusted annual outputs of live weight for the system were 191, 230, and 209 kg/ha during the firsi, second and third season, respectively. When adjusting to the roughage fed during winter, the live weight outputs were 166, 218, and 202 kg/ha, for the same seasons. Heifers reached a uve weight of 285-306 kgat 15-month-old. Bullocks reached 342-362 kg of live weightat 18-month-old.

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1 Subestación Experimental Humán (INIA), Casilla 767, Los Angeles, Chile.
2 Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias (INIA), Casilla 5427, Santiago, Chile.
3 Estacion Experimental Quilamapu (INIA),Casilla 426, Chillán, Chile.