Effect of replacing soybean meal with canola meal on the performance of Nellore feedlot heifers

This work was carried out to study the effects of replacing soybean meal with canola meal on the performance (intake, feed/gain ratio, average daily gain), apparent digestibility and carcass traits of feedlot heifers. Twenty Nelore heifers, averaging 250 kg of live weight and 18 months of age, were used in a complete randomized design in a 70-days experiment. Diets contained sorghum silage, corn grain, limestone, mineral salt, monensin and soybean meal or canola meal + urea, to make both isonitrogenous. Apparent digestibility, using lignin as internal marker, was determined by partial collection of feces, during the last week of the experiment. Carcass traits were evaluated at slaughter. There were no differences between treatments on the performance, apparent digestibility and carcass traits. Canola meal can replace soybean meal in diets fed to Nelore Feedlot heifers, without loss in animal performance.