Beef

Distillers Dried Grains Supplementation of Fall-calving Cows or Calves Grazing Stockpiled Forage During Winter (Progress Report)

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Abstract

Six 10-acre pastures containing Fawn endophyte-free tall fescue were strip-grazed by 4 pregnant fall-calving cows with calves from mid-November through March. Treatments applied to the cows in the six pastures included: Minimal supplementation (Minimal treatment), creep feeding a DDGS-soy hull pellet to calves (Creep treatment), or DDGS supplementation to cows (DDGS treatment). Cow weights and body condition scores and calf weights were measured over the winter grazing season. Over the season, calves in the Creep treatment had greater body weight gains than calves in the DDGS and Minimal treatments (3.1, 2.3, and 2.2 lbs/day, respectively). Partly because of a dry period while stockpiling forage and cold temperatures combined with snow and ice in late winter, cows in the Minimal and Creep treatments received 392 lb DDGS/cow over the grazing season compared to 948 lb DDGS/cow in DDGS treatment. As a result, there were no significant differences in cow BW or BCS between treatments throughout the winter grazing season. No significant differences were found in forage mass or the concentrations of CP, ADF, NDF, ADIN, or IVDMD of pasture samples collected before or during winter grazing between treatments. Results imply that creep feeding a corn-soy hull pellet will increase calf body weight gains. However, neither creep feeding calves nor supplementing DDGS to cows to maintain a condition score of 5 affects body weights or condition scores of cows grazing stockpiled forages in comparison to cows that are supplemented only when necessary because of excessive cold or ice.

Keywords: ASL R2270

How to Cite:

Lasley, P. W., Russell, J. R., Strohbehn, D. R., Morrical, D. G. & Lawrence, J. D., (2008) “Distillers Dried Grains Supplementation of Fall-calving Cows or Calves Grazing Stockpiled Forage During Winter (Progress Report)”, Iowa State University Animal Industry Report 5(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/ans_air-180814-523