Supplementation with Ground Corn is Cost Effective for Increasing Weight Gain of Steers Grazing Bermudagrass
2005
Aiken, Glen E. | Tabler, Samuel F. | Looper, Michael L. | Brauer, David K.
Weight gain of stockers generally declines in the middle to late grazing season and a reduction in grass digestible energy has been implicated. Steers grazed bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) during a 2-year experiment in west-central Arkansas. Animal and pasture responses were compared for treatments including supplementation with ground corn (2 lb per steer per day) over the whole grazing season (112 days), supplementation only in the late grazing season (56 days), and no supplementation (control). Two feeding intervals of 24 and 48 h also were compared for the supplementation treatments. In vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) declined throughout the grazing season in 2002 and during the first 80 days in 2001. Supplementation for the whole grazing season generally resulted in greater average daily gain (ADG) and weight gain per acre than late-season supplementation and the control. Weight gain did not differ between 24- and 48-h feeding intervals. Feeding ground corn to steers grazing bermudagrass can effectively increase ADG if fed for the whole grazing season at a rate of 2 lb per steer per day.
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