EFEITO DO CREEP FEEDING E CREEP GRAZING NAS CARACTERíSTICAS DA PASTAGEM DE TIFTON E AZEVéM E NO DESEMPENHO DE OVINOS

The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of creep feeding and creep grazing on the pasture characteristics and on performance and productivity of sheep. Three systems of lambs production on Tifton 85 (Cynodon spp.) pastures oversown with Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam) were studied: lambs with dams until slaughter without supplementation (1); lambs with dams until slaughter fed concentrate in creep feeders at 2% BW.day-1 (2); and lambs with dams until slaughter and supplemented with white clover (Trifolium repens) in creep grazing system ad libitum (3). The characteristics of the pasture did not differ (P>0.05) among the systems. Individual lamb growth was higher with creep feeding (307g/day) and creep grazing (274g/day) compared to no supplemented systems (204g/day; p<0.05). Animal productivity per area on supplemented treatments (2.4 kg BW/ha/day) was significantly greater than no supplemented one (1.8kg BW/ha/day; p<0.05). White clover showed to be a particularly good supplement for raising lambs on pastures. It may be concluded that systems of feeding lambs in creep feeding and creep grazing yielded favorable productivity mainly if there is forage deficit in spring.