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ARS Home » Plains Area » Miles City, Montana » Livestock and Range Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #126256
Title: LIQUID SUPPLEMENT AND FORAGE INTAKE BY RANGE BEEF COWS

Author
item SOWELL, B - MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY
item BOWMAN, JG - MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY
item Grings, Elaine
item Macneil, Michael

Submitted to: Journal of Animal Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/16/2002
Publication Date: 1/1/2003
Citation: SOWELL, B.F., BOWMAN, J.P., GRINGS, E.E., MACNEIL, M.D. LIQUID SUPPLEMENT AND FORAGE INTAKE BY RANGE BEEF COWS. JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE. 2003. v. 81. p. 294-303.

Interpretive Summary: Supplying liquid supplement to cows grazing winter native range increased forage digestibility, and reduced BCS loss. Forage intake was increased by 48% when cows had ad libitum access to liquid supplement, and by 83% when liquid supplement consumption was limited by a computer- controlled delivery system, compared to unsupplemented cows in a year where snowfall did not limit forage availability. With heavier snowfall, forage intake was only increased by 11% for cows that were using the computer-controlled supplement delivery system. Greater competition for supplement, as provided by the computer-controlled supplement delivery system, resulted in greater forage intake. Variation in supplement intake by individual cows was reduced by modifications in the liquid supplement delivery method and its dosing frequency. Social interactions by a mixed-age group of cows at liquid supplement feeders resulted in lower supplement consumption by 2-yr-old cows compared with older age groups.

Technical Abstract: One hundred-eighty crossbred cows were assigned to 1 of 6 native range pastures during 2 winters to evaluate forage and supplement intake as affected by liquid supplement delivery method and cow age (2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 yr). Treatments were: no supplement (Control); a lick-wheel feeder containing liquid supplement (ADLIB); and a computer-controlled lick- wheel feeder that dispensed 1 kg/cow/d of liquid supplement (RESTRICTED). Each treatment was applied to 2 pastures. Forage digestibility was increased by supplementation both years. Supplemented cows lost less body condition than unsupplemented cows. Supplemented cows consumed more dry matter (DM) than Control cows in 1995. In 1996, ADLIB cows had similar DM intake to Control cows, while RESTRICTED cows consumed more DM. Supplement intake by cows on ADLIB was higher than by cows on RESTRICTED in both years. Supplement intake was lowest by 2-yr- olds , intermediate by 3-yr-olds, and greatest by 4- to 6-yr-old cows. Variation in supplement intake by individual cows on the RESTRICTED treatment was reduced by modifications in the liquid supplement delivery method and its dosing frequency. The proportions of cows consuming less than 0.3 kg/d supplement DM and consuming less than the target amount of supplement (0.5 kg DMI) were less for ADLIB than for RESTRICTED during both years. ADLIB cows spent more time at the supplement feeder and had more supplement feeding bouts than RESTRICTED cows during both years. During the first year, 2- and 3-yr-old cows spent less time at the feeder and had fewer feeding bouts per day than 6-yr-old cows. Age had no effect on feeding behavior during the second year.