Brush Management Influences the Nutritive Content of Cattle Diets in East-Central Texas

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Nutritive content of seasonal diets following mechanical and chemical brush management on east-central Texas rangeland was determined using esophageally fistulated cows. Brush managed pastures had a greater herbaceous standing crop, except during the grazing period in fall the year of treatment, and generally yielded diets higher in crude protein (CP) and in vitro digestible organic matter (IVDOM) than untreated pastures. Mean crude protein content of cattle diets was higher (P .ltoreq. 0.05) in all seasons from tebuthiuron-treated pastures, and in summer and fall from pastures which were bulldozed compared to untreated pastures. Mean IVDOM content of cattle diets was higher (P .ltoreq. 0.05) in spring and summer from pastures receiving brush management compared to untreated pastures. Crude protein and IVDOM content of diets decreased in all pastures and seasons between beginning and end of grazing periods, with the exception of higher IVDOM in the spring, suggesting that the cows benefitted by grazing regrowth of herbaceous plants.