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Superintendent
David Davis
21262 Genoa Road
Linneus, MO 64653
Phone: 660 895-5121
FAX: 660 895=5122
Email: DavisDK@missouri.edu

Forage Systems Update
Vol 15, No. 3

A two year study was conducted from December to July of 2004-2005 (Year 1) and 2005-2006 (Year 2) at FSRC to evaluate the impact of different forage allowances on the performance of lactating beef cows and their calves grazing stockpiled tall fescue. To examine this, forage allowances of 2.25, 3.00, 3.75, and 4.50 percent of body weight (% of BW) were set as experimental treatments. Conventional hay-feeding was also evaluated as a comparison to grazing stockpiled tall fescue. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with three replications. Apparent DM intake of cow-calf pairs grazing stockpiled tall fescue was 32% greater than (P < 0.05) for those receiving 4.50% of BW than cows allocated 2.25% of BW. However, as forage allowance increased from 2.25% to 4.50%, pasture utilization fell by 25%. During Year 1, cows in the hay treatment lost 0.50 kg per day compared to 1 kg per day for cows grazing stockpiled tall fescue 3.00, 3.75, and 4.50% of BW, and 1.25 kg per day when allocated 2.25% of BW (P < 0.05). However during Year 2, cows receiving 4.50% of BW lost only 0.04 kg per day which was less than (P < 0.05) all other treatments, except the 3.75% of BW treatment. Averaged over both years, calf ADG was 0.12 kg per day greater (P < 0.05) when forage allowances were above 2.25% BW or when hay was fed. However, calf gain per hectar for the 2.25% of BW treatment was nearly 40% greater than the 4.50 % of BW treatment. These results suggest that cow weight and condition loss and suppressed calf average day gain can be easily regained when pasture conditions improve. Individual calf performance is maximized at forage allowances at or above 3.00% of BW, but the most economical forage allowances may be at 2.25% of BW, since cow weight loss is easily regained, land requirement are decreased and calf gain per hectar is increased. In addition, this study shows that stockpiled tall fescue without concentrate supplementation can be fed to lactating, fall calving cows and is a suitable substitute to hay.

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