PERFORMANCE OF CANCHIM COWS ON BRACHIARIA-DECUMBENS AND PIGEON PEAS PASTURES

The purpose of this work was to evaluate the productive performance of Canchim cows on Brachiaria decumbens pastures with or without pigeon peas. The experimental design was a randomized block with two replications and two treatments (pastures with or without pigeon peas), in a factorial arrangement. Eighty-four calved cows, 21 for each of four pastures, were used during two breeding seasons: Year I - August 17 through May 12, 1987; Year II - August 19, 1988 through January 18, 1989. Conception rate of cows was not affected by treatment: 88,09% and 86,90% cows on pastures with and without the legume. The kind of pasture did not affect growth of calves, which averaged 224,0 and 221,5 kg at weaning (240 days). During the breeding seasons the cows on pastures with the legume lost, on the average, 0,033 kg/day of weight, while those on the other treatment gained about 0,050 kg/day of weight. This difference was probably due to the higher availability of forage in the pastures without pigeon peas.