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ARS Home » Plains Area » Miles City, Montana » Livestock and Range Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #115695
Title: INTENSIVE EARLY STOCKING FOR YEARLING CATTLE IN THE NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS

Author
item Grings, Elaine
item Heitschmidt, Rodney
item Short, Robert
item Haferkamp, Marshall

Submitted to: Journal of Range Management
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/1/2002
Publication Date: 3/1/2002
Citation: GRINGS, E.E., HEITSCHMIDT, R.K., SHORT, R., HAFERKAMP, M.R. INTENSIVE EARLY STOCKING FOR YEARLING CATTLE IN THE NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS. JOURNAL OF RANGE MANAGEMENT. 2002. v. 55. p. 135-138.

Interpretive Summary: The objective of this study was to evaluate management strategies to efficiently utilize native rangelands in the Northern Great Plains for the production of growing cattle. A 3-yr study was completed on management strategies for yearling cattle grazing rangeland during the summer. Manipulation of time of grazing and stocking density and use of protein supplementation were evaluated as management options to improve animal performance. Nine pastures (36 to 79 ha) were assigned to one of three treatments. Each year, one hundred sixty-one yearling steers were allotted to one of three treatments replicated in three pastures. Treatments were 1) season-long stocking (SS) - pastures were stocked at the recommended rate assuming a 4 month grazing period (average 5 ha/steer); 2) season-long stocking, protein supplemented (SSP)- pastures were stocked at a rate similar to treatment 1 and steers received a protein supplement in late summer; and 3) intensive early stocking (IES) - pastures were stocked at the recommended rate assuming only a 2 month grazing season (average 2 ha/steer). Supplementation was started in late summer and protein was fed as 1.82 kg of a 27% CP soybean meal and barley-based pellet every third day. IES steers tended to gain less weight than SS and SSP steers, however, production per hectare was increased by 27 kg. There was no effect of protein supplementation on weight gain of yearlings. We conclude that use of IES can improve production per hectare in the Northern Great Plains. Late summer protein supplementation was not beneficial to steers grazing rangelands with the forage quantity and quality available in this experiment.

Technical Abstract: A 3-year study was conducted to evaluate management strategies for the production of growing cattle. Crossbred yearling steers (N = 161 per year, avg initial weight = 277 kg) were allotted to 1 of 3 treatments replicated in 3 pastures. Treatments were 1) pastures stocked at recommended rates assuming a 4-month grazing period (SS), 2) pastures stocked at a rate similar to SS with protein supplementation provided to steers every third day after forage quality began to decline (SSP), and 3) pastures stocked at the same rate assuming only a 2-month grazing season (IES). Protein supplement (26.9% crude protein) was fed at a rate of 1.82 kg (as fed basis) every third day. In 1995, a fourth treatment was added to additional pastures consisting 1.82 kg (as fed) of a 40% crude protein supplement fed every third day. No differences were observed in weight gains among any of the treatments during 1993, due to above normal precipitation. In 1994 and 1995, steers in the IES pastures gained less weight during the 2 months of grazing than did those in the SS pastures, however, gain per hectare was greater in the IES pastures. There was no weight gain response to protein supplementation. Intensive-early stocking of pastures for growing cattle may be a viable means to overcome limited forage quality in late summer in the Northern Great Plains and to maximize forage utilization in years of abundant forage. Supplementation with 452 to 679 grams of protein every third day does not appear to be a viable means to increase gains of steers grazing Northern Great Plains rangelands in late summer.