The research evaluated the effects of the creep-feeding on the productive and reproductive performance of the primiparous cows, maintained on improved natural pasture with ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.), white clover (Trifolium repens Lam.) and cornichão (Lotus corniculatus Lam. cv. São Gabriel). A completely randomized experimental design composed by four treatments according to 2 x 2 factorial arrangement (two sex: cows suckling male or female calves; two systems of feeding: cows suckling male or female with or without access creep-feeding, totalizing 16 experimental units. The primiparous cows of the creep-feeding system showed body weight and corporal condition, in the end of the experiment, higher in relation to the ones without creep-feeding system (412 kg and 3.94 versus 399 kg and 3.77, respectively). Cows in the creep-feeding system showed average daily weight gain higher than the cows with calves without access to creep-feeding (0.549 vs. 0.449 kg/day). Creep-feeding and the sex of calves did not influence the pregnancy rate of primiparous cows.
body condition; pregnancy; weight gain
