{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,1]],"date-time":"2026-09-01T11:58:00Z","timestamp":1788263880151,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"19","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,7]],"date-time":"2025-10-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1759795200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Foundation for Research Support of the State of Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG)"},{"name":"Coordination of Superior Level Staff Improvement (CAPES)"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Animals"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study aimed to evaluate the effects of sequential supplementation with different crude protein levels and periods on performance, nutritional and metabolic characteristics, and efficiency of nitrogenous compounds use in grazing male Nellore calves at pre-weaning. Fifty male Nellore calves during pre-weaning were distributed in a completely randomized design in a 2 \u00d7 2 factorial arrangement. The strategies were as follows: Supplementation period in the initial pre-weaning was 1\u201378th experimental day and in the final pre-weaning was 79\u2013156th experimental day. The Low and high protein levels in the supplement were 150 g CP\/kg) and 300 g CP\/kg, respectively. All animals received 6 g\/kg BW of supplement. Protein levels in the supplement did not affect intake of forage DM, and neutral detergent fiber in the animals. However, a higher CP intake and the CP to DOM ratio (p-value &lt; 0.05) was evidence for the high calves compared with low calves. Supplementation strategies did not affect the blood concentrations of IGF-1, glucose, and total protein. Likewise, protein levels in the supplement did not affect the ADG and number and diameter of muscle fibers. In conclusion, the decrease in protein levels in the supplement from 300 to 150 g CP\/kg DM does not detrimentally affect performance and nutritional and metabolic characteristics in male beef calves under a grazing system at pre-weaning.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ani15192913","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,7]],"date-time":"2025-10-07T10:48:07Z","timestamp":1759834087000},"page":"2913","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Do Protein Supplementation Levels Influence the Performance of Male Nellore Calves Under a Grazing System at Pre-Weaning?"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"given":"Marcos Rocha","family":"Manso","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Animal Science Department, Federal University of Vi\u00e7osa, Vi\u00e7osa 36570-900, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7125-7781","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Luciana Navajas","family":"Renn\u00f3","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Animal Science Department, Federal University of Vi\u00e7osa, Vi\u00e7osa 36570-900, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5708-4987","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Edenio","family":"Detmann","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Animal Science Department, Federal University of Vi\u00e7osa, Vi\u00e7osa 36570-900, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7067-0419","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"M\u00e1rio Fonseca","family":"Paulino","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Animal Science Department, Federal University of Vi\u00e7osa, Vi\u00e7osa 36570-900, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0333-3797","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sidnei Ant\u00f4nio","family":"Lopes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Animal Science Department, Federal University of Vi\u00e7osa, Vi\u00e7osa 36570-900, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8147-0973","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nicole Stephane de Abreu","family":"Lima","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Animal Science Department, Federal University of Vi\u00e7osa, Vi\u00e7osa 36570-900, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4282-8864","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Deilen Paff Sotelo","family":"Moreno","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Ruminantia Research Group, Animal Production Department, Faculty of Agricultural and Animal Sciences and Natural Resources, Universidad of the Llanos, Villavicencio 500017, Colombia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rom\u00e1n Maza","family":"Ortega","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Agriculture and Livestock Sustainable Research Group, Animal Science Department, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Pamplona, Pamplona 543050, Colombia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,7]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100472","DOI":"10.1016\/j.vas.2025.100472","article-title":"Investigating cow-calf productive performance under early and conventional weaning practices in south african beef cattle","volume":"29","author":"Jammer","year":"2025","journal-title":"Vet. 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