Effect of Recovery Interval of Irrigated Forage on the Performance of Grazing Steers

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Abstract
During two seasons studies were made of the performance of beef steers grazing on irrigated grass-legume pasture at different stages of maturity. The maturity stages were controlled by allowing 24, 30 and 36 days for the forage to recover between six-day grazing periods. A study of the effects of barley supplementation was made during the first season. The data indicated that the forage was grazed when in a vegetative stage. No large differences were noted in TDN, crude protein and lignin content of the grazed forage. Recovery interval did not influence steer response as measured by daily gain, feed consumption, efficiency of feed utilization, live weight, dressed weight or energy gain per acre or in animal behavior. A barley supplement increased daily gains, caused a greater proportion of gain to be distributed in the dressed weight and resulted in deposition of a higher energy gain. Unsupplemented animals spent more time grazing and less time idling than those receiving a barley supplement. Supplemented steers spent 3.5 times as much time eating supplement during the fifth day in a pasture as during the first day. The net energy of the forage and the barley supplement, determined from energy gains and estimated maintenance requirements, averaged 33.5 and 60.1 meal, per 100 lb. dry matter, respectively. It appears that when the type of forage studied in these trials is grazed at a vegetative stage, factors other than animal response will determine rotational intervals within 24 to 36 days. Copyright © . .

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