Sugar cane in feeding of milker heifers: Review

Abstract

This review aims to present how sugarcane is used in the rearing of dairy heifers. Some characteristics related about the culture of sugarcane, such as ease of cultivation, implementation of crop in the dry season, the possibility of self-storage or conservation field, persistence of culture and great production obtained in Brazilian conditions They made it a food of great interest to breeders. Females in growing need an average weight gain that guarantees an age at first calving at twenty-four months old. Will be reported the dairy heifer’s systems, important aspects of heifers’ nutrition, limitations of use of sugarcane for cattle, composition and productivity of sugarcane. The results of different research papers suggest several ways of using sugarcane to obtain satisfactory results as in natural cane, cane with urea, silage cane, hydrolyzed cane and bagasse from sugarcane. Despite the low digestibility of sugarcane and less weight gain for heifers as compared to other feeds, for example, silage corn, sugarcane proved to be a viable alternative for rearing dairy heifers little technicality properties.