Effect of diet with different energy content in growing Murrah buffalo heifers

The relationship between variations of weight and BCS was evaluated using growing buffalo heifers, fed diets with different energy level. 12 Murrah bred heifers (age: 790 days, LW: 400 kg), raised in Saint Paul (Brazil) were equally divided in group H and L fed diets with 5.8 UFL/day and 3.6 UFL/day, respectively. At the end of treatment, groups showed significant differences in weight and values of BCS. In this trial each point of BCS, in Murrah heifers, seems to be equivalent to an increase and/or a loss of about 50 kg of live weight. During this trial the mean value of daily weight gain (DWG) was significantly higher in group H (310 g. vs 0 g.; P<0.01). The heifers of group H required 5.4 UFL to increase the live weight, while group L showed a constant live weight in spite of the assumption of energy level of diet not sufficient to satisfy the requirements of weight maintenance. As it is known, buffalo heifers improves the efficiency of the diet utilization in case of deficiency and wastes energy when receiving diet with high energy content.