The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the food intake, food conversion and weight gain of Braford calves, weaned with 88 days of age, fed with triticale silage associated to 35, 45, 55 or 65% concentrate, dry matter basis. The animals were fed ad libitum, twice daily with the 15% CP diet. The experiment was conducted during 84 days, divided in four periods of 21 days. Average daily intakes of dry matter (DMI) expressed in kg (DMID), per 100 kg of live weight (DMI%) and per unit of metabolic weight (DMIMW), of NDF in kg (NDFI) and per 100 kg of live weight (NDFI%), food conversion (FC) and average daily weight gain (ADG) were evaluated. The regression analysis showed linear increases for DMID, DMI%, DMIMW and ADG, as the concentrate level increased. The ADG was 270, 536, 728 and 784 g, respectively, for the four concentrate levels. Quadratic answers were observed for NDFI, NDFI%, final weight and FC, as the concentrate level increased. No interaction was observed between concentrate level and experimental period for the studied variables, but DMID, DMI%, NDFI% and ADG increased as the experimental period advanced. To obtain rates of weight gain appropriate, aiming the early weaning, it is recommended to associate the triticale silage with 45% or more concentrate in the diet.
confinement; early weaning; food conversion; weaning age; weight gain
