This experimentevaluated the performance of 84 Braford steers grazing on summer and wintercultivated pastures fed or not fed an energy-protein supplement. Steers were10 months old and weighed, on average, 165 kg at the beginning of the trial.Steers grazed on cultivated winter pasture, consisting of black oats (Avenastrigosa) and ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.), and then on cultivatedsummer pasture, consisting of Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum). Thefollowing treatments were applied: SS - supplement was fed during both seasons;SN - supplement was fed only during the winter; NS - supplement was fed onlyduring the summer; and NN - steers were not fed any supplement. Supplementationresulted in higher body weight and better body condition score (SS: 369.2 and4.52; SN: 335.2 and 4.01; NS: 352.5 and 4.49; SS: 322.5 and 3.83). Longissimusdorsi area was larger in supplemented steers, which also presented thickerbackfat when compared with those not fed any supplement (3.67 and 2.29 mm, respectively).
