Thirty Nellore bulls, averaging 20 months of age and 330 kg, were used to evaluate the effects of concentrate inclusion on the liquid and dietary requirements of calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), magnesium (Mg) and potassium (K). After a period of adaptation (40 days), five animals were slaughtered as reference and the 25 remaining were allotted to five treatments (25.0, 37.5, 50.0, 62.5, and 75.0% of concentrate, in DM), in a completely randomized design, with five replicates. The slaughter weight was established as 450 kg. Regression equations of the logarithm of Ca, P, Mg or K body content were fitted in function of the logarithm of the empty body weight (EBW), for the concentrate levels in the diets. By deriving these equations, liquid requirements for gain of 1 kg EBW (EBWG) were obtained. The previous average estimated coefficients of absorption, of 53.13, 37.33, 39.62, and 65.54%, for Ca, P, Mg and K, respectively, were used to determine the macrominerals dietary requirements. The macrominerals liquid requirements decreased as EBW increased. For a 400 kg LW animal, the liquid requirements were 8.18, 7.53, .21, and 2.77 g/kg EBWG, respectively, for Ca, P, Mg and K. The dietary requirements for a 400 kg LW bovine were 15.40, 20.17, .53, and 4.23 g/kg EBWG, respectively, for the same macrominerals sequence. The Ca, P, Mg and K requirements differed from the British and American nutritional requirements systems.
body composition; requirements; macrominerals; Nellore
