Energy expenditure of grazing cattle: Experimental methods and determinants

Abstract

In the case of Brazilian cattle breeding, the principal breeding system in most of the country is the grazing system, characterized by vast tracts of land available and a tropical climate that favors the growth of adapted grasses. A notable feature of this breeding system is the seasonality of forage production that is abundant in the rainy season and scarce in the dry season; this situation compromises the performance of the performance indexes of the animals and causes losses in their productivity. In the animal production chain, energy is a prominent factor in production, being essential to sustain all vital and metabolic processes of the body, among other functions. It is necessary to observe that animals raised in pasture have greater energy expenditure, since they move more in search of food. Thus, the objective was to list methods of energy expenditure determination and to demonstrate the importance of adopting an adequate food management.