Angus-crossbred steers (n = 216) were used in a 3-yr study to assess the effects of winter stocker growth rate and finishing system on finishing performance and carcass characteristics. During winter months (December to April) steers were randomly allotted to 3 stocker growth rates: low (0.23 kg x d(-1)), medium (0.45 kg x d(-1)), or high (0.68 kg x d(-1)). Upon completion of the winter phase, steers were randomly allotted within each stocker treatment to a corn silage-concentrate or pasture finishing system. All steers regardless of finishing treatment were finished to an equal-time endpoint to eliminate confounding of treatments with animal age or seasonal factors. Upon completion of the finishing period, steers were slaughtered in 2 groups (one-half of pasture and one-half of feedlot cattle each time) and carcass data were collected. Winter data were analyzed as a completely randomized design, with winter treatment, pen replicate, year, and the winter x year interaction in the model. Finishing performance and carcass data were analyzed in a split-plot design with finishing system in the whole plot, and winter growth rate and winter x finish in the split-plot. Winter treatment mean within finishing replication was the experimental unit, and year was considered a random effect. Winter stocker phase treatments resulted in differences (P < 0.001) in final BW, ADG, and ultrasound LM area between all treatments for that phase. Pasture-finished cattle had lower (P < 0.001) final BW, ADG, HCW, LM area, fat thickness, KPH, dressing percent, USDA yield grade, and USDA quality grade. Winter stocker treatment influenced (P < 0.05) final BW and HCW, with low and medium being less than high. Steers with low stocker gain had greater (P < 0.05) finishing ADG. Dressing percent was greater (P < 0.001) for high than low, and USDA quality grade was greater (P < 0.05) for high than low and medium. Carcass LM area, fat thickness, KPH, and USDA yield grade were not influenced (P > 0.05) by winter rate of gain. Cattle on low during winter exhibited compensatory gain during finishing but were unable to catch the high group regarding BW or HCW. The USDA quality grade was greater for high than low or medium. Animal performance during the winter stocker period clearly impacts finishing performance, carcass quality and beef production in both pasture- and feedlot-finishing systems, when cattle were finished to an equal-time endpoint.

Grazing hay fields (meadows) by beef cattle (Bos taurus L.) during portions of the year when hay traditionally is fed to the beef herd in the northeastern USA as a partial alternative to harvested hay, was examined in regard to yield and quality of forage produced. Four management systems were compared: (i) early spring grazing, one hay cutting, and late fall grazing (GHG), (ii) two cuttings of hay (HH), (iii) early spring grazing and two cuttings of hay (GHH), and (iv) one hay cutting and late fall grazing (HG), applied to tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) (TF) and orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) (OG) meadows. Early spring grazing decreased and late fall grazing increased total annual herbage dry matter yield over that produced by HH. Spring yields did not differ between forage species; however, fall and total annual dry matter yields tended to be greater for TF than for OG (3150 vs. 2540 lb/acre for the fall and 7300 vs. 6540 for the total). Based on lower fiber and greater crude protein (CP) concentrations, and higher in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD), the quality of the first cutting (spring) hay was greater from meadows grazed early in the spring than for meadows ungrazed in the spring. Management of meadows in the fall did not influence the chemical composition of spring‐grazed forage. Except for decreased CP levels, tall fescue consistently maintained higher quality than OG for both the aftermath hay harvest and forage accumulated for fall grazing. Metabolizable energy intake also was greater for the cattle grazing TF in the fall than for those grazing OG.

To determine the effect of forage moisture content on intake and digestion kinetics in sheep, a metabolism trial was conducted using 16 mature wethers (44 kg BW) in a completely randomized design. Forage was harvested at two maturities in early spring from a naturalized pasture composed of temperate grass and legume species. Herbage was harvested at either 8 (early) or 16 cm (late) in height and fed after freezing (high-moisture) or as a dried hay. Intakes of DM (grams/[kilogram BW.75.day]), NDF, ADF, and CP (grams/day) (P< .05) and coefficients for DM, NDF, and ADF digestibilities were greater (P < .01) for hay than for high-moisture forage. Mean particulate retention times (MRT) were shorter (P < .05) for high-moisture forage (23.3 h) than for hay (30.7 h) diets. Early-harvested forages had shorter (P < .05) MRT values (23.9 h) than late-cut forages (30.1 h). Fractional passage rates of 1-mm nylon particles of specific gravity (SG) .90, 1.14, and 1.32 through the alimentary tract were influenced by moisture content of the forage (P < .10) and were faster for frozen forages and increased (P < .01) with an increase in SG. Nitrogen retention was greater (P < .01) for the hay than for the high-moisture forage. In situ DM digestion rates, determined using four ruminally fistulated wethers, showed no differences (P = .67) among forages. The results of this study indicate that differences in digestibilities between hays and high-moisture forages are most likely due to differences in digesta passage rates.

for beef producers. However, Frame et al. (1998) state that a grass-legume sward with no added N can produce Low-cost alternatives to hay feeding for wintering the beef herd the same DM yield as a pure grass sward with 100 to (Bos taurus L.) are needed to design sustainable production systems 250 kg N ha Ϫ1 applied. Red clover is reported to be one for northern Appalachia. This study was conducted to compare forage of the easiest legumes to establish in renovated sods production, quality, and botanical composition of hayfields overseeded with a legume when grazed by beef cattle in early spring and (Bryan, 1985), but the amount of N fixed is related to late fall. Four management systems were applied to fields containing seasonal persistence of the legume (Goh et al., 1996). either tall fescue [Festuca arundinacea Schreb.] or orchardgrass [Dac-Proportions of red clover in the sward can be influenced tylis glomerata L.], each overseeded with red clover [Trifolium praby harvest management (Smith et al., 1985) and grazing tense L.]: (i) early spring grazing, one hay cutting, late fall grazing (Hume et al., 1995). Consequently, hayfield manage-(GHG); (ii) two hay cuttings (HH); (iii) early spring grazing followed ment that includes grazing can influence persistence of by two hay cuttings (GHH); and (iv) one hay cutting followed by red clover over a number of years. For this study, tall grazing in late fall (HG). Total dry matter (DM) was highest for the fescue and orchardgrass hayfields were overseeded with HG management. Early spring grazing (GHH and GHG) reduced red clover. Our objective was to evaluate combinations spring hay yield; quality, however, as indicated by crude protein, acidof spring and fall grazing of these hayfields in regard detergent fiber, and in vitro dry matter disappearance, was higher than for hay not grazed in spring (HH and HG). Fall grazing increased to harvestable forage yield, quality, and sward compoquality of forage grazed in early spring. Tall fescue produced more sition.DM than orchardgrass, primarily in spring hay yield. Red clover contributed 50% of the DM of spring hay in the first year after seeding. MATERIALS AND METHODSFall grazing extended the life of the red clover by one year; however, Experimental Design almost no red clover persisted into the fourth year after seeding. Results suggest that fall grazing after a single hay cutting has the The experiment was conducted over a 4-year period (1986potential to be a viable alternative to exclusively relying on hay for 1989) at the West Virginia University Agricultural Experiment wintering the beef herd. Station, Reedsville, WV. Soils were Gilpin silt loam (fineloamy, mixed, semiactive, mesic Typic Hapludults) and Wharton silt loam (fine-loamy, mixed, mesic Aquic Hapludults). Within columns, paired means are significantly different at the 0.05, 0.01, and 0.001 probability levels, respectively. Bryan, W.B. 1985. Effects of sod-seeding legumes on hill land pasture † Values are means of 3 yr (fall: 1986, 1987, and 1988; spring: 1987, 19...

Much hill land pasture in the Appalachians is brush infested. Reclannation procedures which are low cost and require low input are needed to provide hill land pasture owners with ways to maintain production on these lands. A field experiment was carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of grazing either sheep {Ovis sp.) or goats (Capra sp.) separately or in combination for brush clearing on hill land pasture. Cutting or herbicide followed by grazing with sheep or goats were also compared. The experiment was conducted on a 1.8 ha powerline right of way for five years (1986 to 1990). Goats reduced brush cover from 45 % to just over 15 % in one year. Sheep took 3 years to bring about the same result. Cutting and herbicide application increased animal effectiveness, primarily that of sheep, but increased costs. Three year variable costs for brush clearing with goats were estimated at $33 ha~', sheep cost was $262 ha~\ while cutting costs were S133 and herbicide $593 ha"'. Brush was cleared more cost effectively and rapidly by goats, but at the end of 5 years all treatments reduced brush cover to 2 %.