Theme 07: Foraging Strategy
Description
Growth of Holstein heifers were studied to evaluate the combination of a drylot phase followed by feeding energy for pasture supplementation during the grazing season of 1988. Heifers grazed a grass-legume mixture in six paddocks of 1.5 ha each. After drylot, animals were equally allotted to pasture and none or 2.0 kg/d of corn were fed in addition to grazing in a changeover design with repeated measurements. Heifers were fed a high (HE) or low energy (LE) diets in confinement and daily gains were 1190 (HE) and 990 g/day (LE) which were different. On pasture, corn supplementation did not enhance weight gain overall, but did result in greater gains in lighter animals that were previously fed the LE confinement diet. Heavy and light heifers on previously HE diet gained more than heifers previously on LE diet (358 vs 486 g/d).
Included in
Effects of Different Levels of Energy on Growth of Grazing and Drylot Fed Holstein Heifers
Growth of Holstein heifers were studied to evaluate the combination of a drylot phase followed by feeding energy for pasture supplementation during the grazing season of 1988. Heifers grazed a grass-legume mixture in six paddocks of 1.5 ha each. After drylot, animals were equally allotted to pasture and none or 2.0 kg/d of corn were fed in addition to grazing in a changeover design with repeated measurements. Heifers were fed a high (HE) or low energy (LE) diets in confinement and daily gains were 1190 (HE) and 990 g/day (LE) which were different. On pasture, corn supplementation did not enhance weight gain overall, but did result in greater gains in lighter animals that were previously fed the LE confinement diet. Heavy and light heifers on previously HE diet gained more than heifers previously on LE diet (358 vs 486 g/d).
