Offstream water and trace mineral salt as management strategies for improved cattle distribution.

The objective of this study was to test the combined effect of offstream water and trace mineral salt on cattle distribution in a riparian meadow and its adjacent uplands. From July 15 to August 26, 1996 and 1997, three treatments were each randomly assigned to one pasture in each of three blocks. Sixty cow/calf pairs were then randomly allotted to the grazed pastures. The treatments included 1) stream access and access to offstream water and trace-mineral salt (off-stream), 2) stream access and no access to offstream water or trace-mineral salt (no-offstream), and 3) ungrazed control. The response of cattle was measured through visual observations of cattle distribution, grazing activity and travel distance, cow/calf performance, and fecal deposit distribution. Distribution patterns of the cattle, measured as the distance of cattle from the stream, was characterized by a time of day x treatment x time in grazing period x year interaction (P < 0.05). No-offstream cattle began the day further from the stream than offstream cattle but consistently moved closer to the stream after the morning grazing period (0600 to 0900). Differences in distribution patterns between the two treatments were more pronounced early in the grazing period than late in the grazing period. Grazing activity, fecal deposit distribution, and travel distance of cattle were not affected by the presence of offstream water and trace-mineral salt. Cows and calves with offstream water and trace-mineral salt gained 11.5 kg and 0.14 kg/d more, respectively, than no-offstream cows and calves averaged across years (P < 0.05). Overall, cattle distribution patterns and cow/calf performance were influenced by the presence of offstream water and trace-mineral salt. Changes in distribution were most pronounced early in the grazing season.

Effect of forage:concentrate ratio on digestion and reproduction in primiparous beef heifers.

We evaluated the effects of high- (HF) and moderate- (MF) forage diets on digestive and reproductive characteristics in beef heifers. Thirty primiparous beef heifers were allotted by weight and backfat thickness to receive either 80:20 (HF) or 50: 50 (MF) forage:concentrate ratio diets from parturition to at least 90 d postpartum. Alfalfa hay and wheat straw were the forage sources and barley was the concentrate source. Equal daily amounts of ME were provided to all heifers by restricting intake of the MF diet. Digestibility of DM was greater (P < .001) for MF compared with HF diets, whereas NDF digestibility was not different. Dry matter and NDF digested daily was lower (P < .001) for MF than for HF diets. Ruminal fluid pH was lower (P < .05) for MF diets; however, the acetate:propionate ratio was not different. Serum insulin concentrations were greater for MF diets for all hours (P < .001) and weeks (P < .05) of sampling. Changes in weight, backfat thickness, and body condition score at 90 d postpartum were not different between treatments. Calf gain to 30 d, however, was greater (P < .10) for the MF than for the HF treatment (25.5 vs 20.7 kg). Maximum size of the ovulatory follicle was greater (P < .10) for cows receiving the HF diet than for cows receiving the MF diet. However, other aspects of ovarian follicular growth and wave dynamics and the intervals from parturition to first and second ovulation, first estrus, first service, and conception were not different between treatments. Shifts in energy supply from forage to concentrate had minimal effect on digestion and reproduction in first-calf beef heifers in this study.

Effect of methionine addition to a urea-grain supplement on intake and digestibility of mature, dormant grasses and performance of cows grazing winter range.

A digestibility trial involving 20 Hampshire ram lambs and a 2-yr grazing study using 103 mature crossbred cows were conducted to determine the effects of methionine addition to a urea-grain supplement on intake and digestibility of dormant range grasses and on cow performance. In each trial, four treatment groups were supplemented with either a urea-grain control (CON), urea-grain plus methionine (MET, 3.3% DL-methionine), urea-grain plus inorganic sulfur (SUL, 3.0% sodium sulfate), or soybean meal (SBM). Supplements were designed to provide 45 and 360 g of CP.animal-1.d-1 (lambs and cows, respectively) and were balanced for ME, Ca, P, and K. Lambs had ad libitum access to mature prairie hay, whereas cows grazed dormant winter range from mid-November until mid-February. For the grazing study, forage OM intake (OMI) was determined in late November and in late January by the fecal output/indigestibility ratio technique. Controlled-release chromic oxide boluses were used as an external marker to estimate fecal output, and acid insoluble ash was used as an internal marker to predict OM digestibility (OMD). Mean daily DMI of mature prairie hay was 1,057 g/lamb and was not affected by supplementation. Apparent DM, NDF, and ADF digestibilities and N biological value did not differ (P > .10) among treatments. Nitrogen digestibility was increased (P = .06) for lambs fed the MET or SUL compared with CON.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)