Suplementação de bezerros em cocho privativo

This study was carried out at the Estacao Experimental de Zootecnia de Sertaozinho, State of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The experimental sample was composed of 495 Nelore calves born from 1983 to 1986 and they were allotted into two treatments: one group received o the preweaning phase a creep feeding during 122 days (C.P.) and the other were mantained only with milk supplied by their mothers (P.) on pasture regime. The creep feeding diet were composed of 80% ground com and 20% cotton seed meal. The dally intake was 0,328 kg/head/day. The objectives were to evaluate the creep feeding effects on: 1) 120 and 210 days weight; (2) mortality; (3) calves weights by dam age (interaction); (4) cows fertility and (5) weight of cow by the time of parturition and weaning. The effects of C.P. was significant (P< 0.05) on 120 and 210 days weights of calves, being the differences in favor of creep feed calves respectively 5.6 and 13.0 kg for the two ages. There was a tendency of mortality to be lower in the C.P. group and also of a decrease in the number of calves with low development due to lack of milk supply by the dams. The progeny of first calving cows and oldest cows had more benefits from creep feeding. The cows from C.P. group showed a tendency of higher reprodutive performance and also a higher weight gain during milking. It is recommended to start the creep feeding with calves two months old.