Evaluación del grano de lupino (Lupinus angustifolius) como suplemento en la recría de terneras ofrecido en comederos de autoconsumo: Efecto sobre el crecimiento animal y eficiencia de uso del alimento

The aim of this research is to assess the effects of lupin grain (Lupinus angustifolium) supplementation and feeding method on the growth and feed conversion efficiency of 36 Hereford heifers grazing on ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum cv Bill max) under restricted forage availability (2.5% of body weight) during winter. The experiment was conducted at the Unidad de Producción Intensiva de Carne (UPIC) located at the Estación Experimental Dr. Mario A. Cassinoni (EEMAC), Facultad de Agronomía, Paysandú, Uruguay. The heifers were assigned to three treatments in a randomized complete block design (three grazing parcels per treatment, four heifers per parcel): grazing without supplementation (control), daily supplementation at 1% of body weight, and ad libitum self-feeding supplementation. Supplementation improved weight gain (1.21 kg vs. 0.74 kg; P<0.01), and among the supplemented groups, weight gain was higher in the self-feeding treatment (1.3 kg vs. 1.13 kg; P<0.01), associated with a higher supplement intake compared to the daily feeding method (3.9 kg DM/head/day vs. 2.10 kg DM/head/day; P<0.01). Feed conversion efficiency of the supplement showed no significant differences between treatments (SD: 5,73 y AC: 6,85, P>0.05). The higher supplement intake in the self-feeding treatment resulted in a higher meat production (kg/ha). These findings suggest that including lupin grain through different feeding methods may be a viable option for commercial operations.