The objectiveof this trial was to evaluate the effects of different levels of supplementationon performance of grazing steers in the growing phase. The experiment was carriedfrom March to November 2003. Fifty-five steers averaging 10 months old and initialbody weight of 226 kg were assigned to a completely randomized design. The treatmentswere as follows: control (mineral salt) and supplements fed at different levels(0.125, 0.25, 0.50, and 1.0% body weight/animal/day) and contained corn andsoybean meal formulated to yield 24% crude protein. The control group intaked70 g/day and averaged daily gain of 0.28 kg. The control group showed proteincontent below the threshold value, which did not meet gain requirements. Animalsfed other treatments averaged daily gain of 0.51, 0.58, 0.68 and 0.72 kg/day,with the supplement conversion of 1.48, 1.56, 2.67 and 4.43, during the transitiontime, and 1.52, 3.17, 5.29 and 10.19, during the dry season, for 0.12; 0.25;0.5 and 1.0% BW. The supplementation provided higher values of weight gain atthe levels of 0.5% and 1.0%, with higher efficiency at the levels of 0.125 and0.25%.
