Beef

Effects of Distillers Dried Grains Supplementation of Fall-calving Cows or Calves Grazing Stockpiled Forage Over Winter on Performance of Calves in a Pasture-based Finishing Program in the Subsequent Summer (Progress Report)

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Abstract

In April 2006, 24 weaned fall calves from cows that grazed stockpiled forage in the previous winter with minimal supplementation of the cows or calves, minimal supplementation of the cows, but supplementation of the calves with a distillers dried grains (DDGS) and soy hullbased creep feed, or supplementation of the cows with DDGS to maintain a BCS of 5 were moved to a 40-acre smooth bromegrass pasture divided into eight 5-acre paddocks. Calves were rotationally stocked as one group for 56 days. Their dams grazed after the calves in a first-last grazing system for the last 28 days of this period. Steers were separated into the original treatment groups, allotted to six of the 5-acre paddocks, and supplemented with DDGS-based supplement at up to 16 lb/hd/d. Steers were harvested when 75% of the steers in each pen were estimated to achieve a choice quality grade with ultrasound. Average daily gains of calves when stocked in pastures were not affected by winter supplementation treatment. But when fed in feedlot pens, average daily gains of calves were greater (P < 0.10) for creep-fed calves than calves from the other winter treatments. Mean live weight and carcass weights, backfat thickness, ribeye area, and marbling score were 1329, 785 lb, 0.38 in, 12.4 in. 2 , and Small 20 and did not differ between treatments. Results imply that fall-calving cows grazing stockpiled forage may receive minimal supplementation during the winter without adversely affecting subsequent performance of their calves in a growing-finishing system.

Keywords: ASL R2269

How to Cite:

Lasley, P. W., Russell, J. R., Strohbehn, D. R., Morrical, D. G. & Lawrence, J. D., (2008) “Effects of Distillers Dried Grains Supplementation of Fall-calving Cows or Calves Grazing Stockpiled Forage Over Winter on Performance of Calves in a Pasture-based Finishing Program in the Subsequent Summer (Progress Report)”, Iowa State University Animal Industry Report 5(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/ans_air-180814-569