Response to supplementary sorghum grain by cattle grazing oats

Abstract

Seven groups each of five 18-month-old steers grazed oats (Avena sativa) at allowances ranging from 0.40 to 0.08 ha head-l. A further group in a concrete yard was fed ad libitum a diet consisting solely of sorghum grain. Six of the grazing groups were supplemented with ad libitum sorghum grain. The steers were slaughtered after an average of 100 days on trial. The mean daily grain dry matter consumption of grazing steers ranged from 2.90 to 6.52 kg head-1. Carcase gain ha-1 was linearly related to grain consumption ha-l and increased by 0.097 kg for each kg of grain dry matter consumed. Fasted liveweight gain and growth rate were shown to be unsatisfactory measures of animal performance in pasture/grain feeding systems.

Stocking Rate and Energy Supplementation Effects on Replacement Beef Heifers Grazing Annual Ryegrass

“…The response of growing cattle on wheat and/or other small grain pastures to supplemental grain has been variable. In studies reported by Lowrey, Calvert, McCampbell, and Woods (1976a), Lowrey, McCampbell, Calvert, Beaty, and Woods (1976b), McCormick (1975, 1976), and Gulbransen (1976), steer grazing days per hectare or stocking densities were increased 1.25-to 2-fold and daily gains were increased by 0.05 to 0.30 kg by feeding grain at levels of 1 to 1.5% of BW. In the present experiment, the use of a high level of supplementation (1% BW) with SBH or corn helped maintaining heifers on pasture, however, their forage DMI was not different from HIGH performance.…”

088 Evaluation of initial body weight and supplementation levels on health and performance of newly received stocker calves

“…Moore et al (1999) compared the forage intake of cattle that were supplemented and not supplemented and found that when cattle were grazing high quality grass, supplementation had a negative impact on forage intake. It is possible that the shorter grazing period in the current study may have negated difference in comparing ending forage sward height as supplementation has been associated on multiple occasions to lengthen grazing days (Gulbransen, 1976;Loy, 2007).…”

“…Likewise, Gulbransen (1976) reported that steer grazing days/hectare or stocking densities were increased 1.25 to 2-fold when steers were supplemented at a level of 1 to 1.5% of their respective BW. Therefore, supplementation may increase ADG, feed utilization, grazing days, and stocking densities.…”