Publication Date
1997
Description
To study cow-calf production on fragile soils, 32 ‘tester’ cow-calf pairs were grazed on fertilized and unfertilized meadow brome (Bromus biebersteinii Roem & Schult.) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)/meadow brome pastures, to determine the effects of forage type and fertility on pasture yield and botanical composition; and on animal productivity including cow milk production, cow and calf average daily gain and total gain (per head and per hectare). Cow fertility may be depressed on alfalfa-based pastures, therefore, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels were also examined. Cow average daily gain (0.15 kg d-1) and milk production (4.82 kg d-1) were not affected by pasture type or fertility level. However, calf average daily gain was 11% higher when calves were grazed on legume- vs.grass-based pastures (1.20 vs. 1.08 kg d-1; P=0.01). Blood urea nitrogen levels were at the top of the normal range for cows grazing alfalfa-based pastures (7.79-8.09 mmol L-1), but were within the normal range (3.53-5.01 mmol L-1) for cows grazing grass-based pastures.
Citation
Kopp, J C. and McCaughey, W P., "Cow-Calf Production Response to Pasture Forage Species" (2024). IGC Proceedings (1989-2023). 17.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/1997/session29/17
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Cow-Calf Production Response to Pasture Forage Species
To study cow-calf production on fragile soils, 32 ‘tester’ cow-calf pairs were grazed on fertilized and unfertilized meadow brome (Bromus biebersteinii Roem & Schult.) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)/meadow brome pastures, to determine the effects of forage type and fertility on pasture yield and botanical composition; and on animal productivity including cow milk production, cow and calf average daily gain and total gain (per head and per hectare). Cow fertility may be depressed on alfalfa-based pastures, therefore, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels were also examined. Cow average daily gain (0.15 kg d-1) and milk production (4.82 kg d-1) were not affected by pasture type or fertility level. However, calf average daily gain was 11% higher when calves were grazed on legume- vs.grass-based pastures (1.20 vs. 1.08 kg d-1; P=0.01). Blood urea nitrogen levels were at the top of the normal range for cows grazing alfalfa-based pastures (7.79-8.09 mmol L-1), but were within the normal range (3.53-5.01 mmol L-1) for cows grazing grass-based pastures.
