Nine ruminally fistulated Nellore steers were located in nine paddocks of palisade grass (Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu) pasture under daily supplementation (seven times per week), from Monday to Friday (five times per week) or Monday, Wednesday and Friday (three times per week). Ruminal fluid was sampled on two consecutive days. On the first day, all the animals that were supplemented (D1) and other subsequent day in which only for the animals under daily supplementation received the supplement (D2). The supplementation frequency did not affect the forage DMI, total DMI and DMD. The DMI and DMD were influenced by the experimental period, with reduction from March to May. Ruminal pH was not affected by the supplementation frequency. Supplementation frequency X collection day X collection hour interaction was observed for ruminal NH3-N. No difference in the D1 was observed in NH3-N concentration among the hours after supplementation in the daily supplementation frequency, while in the D2 there was a peak of NH3-N production 3 hours after supplementation. Among the animals under five times per week supplementation, the difference between D1 and D2 was due to the time 12 of the D2 (7 mg/dL). In the three times per week, the NH3-N concentration in D1 peaked at 3-9 hours after supplementation. The supplementation frequency only affected total SCFA concentration in the D1 and butyric acid concentration in the D2. The month of the year did not affect the ruminal pH and NH3-N concentration. However, the SCFA concentration was significantly reduced from March to May.
rainy; ruminal ammonia; ruminal pH; short-chain fatty acids; supplementation strategy; tropical grass
