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Title: FORAGE INTAKE AND GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF ANGUS AND BRANGUS COW-CALF PAIRS ALLOWED TO GRAZE ALICIA BERMUDAGRASS AND COMMON BERMUDAGRASS-DALLISGRASS PASTURES

Author
item WYATT, W - UNIVERSIT OF LOUISIANA
item Gates, Roger
item BLOUIN, D - UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
item SAXTON, A - UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE
item NELSON, B - UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

Submitted to: Journal of Animal Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/1/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: When renovating or establishing new pastures, beef producers are faced with the important question of which grass will work best in their environment and management scheme. A 3-yr study evaluated forage effects on cow-calf performance. Each year Angus and Brangus cows and calves grazed pastures containing Alicia bermudagrass or common bermudagrass/ dallisgrass. Half of each pasture was alternately grazed and rested for 14-d periods throughout the grazing season. Pastures were stocked to determine the maximum number of cow-calf pairs a particular forage would support. Fertilizer inputs were kept low. Alicia bermuda provided 500 lbs more grass per acre than common bermudagrass/dallisgrass. However, the common bermudagrass dallisgrass pastures were better quality, averaging 13% crude protein (CP) and 54% in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD), compared with Alicia bermuda pastures, averaging 11% CP and 53% IVDMD. Calves grazing common bermudagrass/dallisgrass weighed 16% more (472 vs 408 lbs) at weaning and had gained at a 32% faster rate (1.6 vs 1.2 lbs/d) than those on the Alicia bermuda. However, Alicia bermudagrass pastures were stocked at an average of 1.5 cow-calf pairs per acre compared with 1.1 cow-calf pairs per acre on the common bermudagrass/ dallisgrass pastures. Alicia bermuda pastures weaned more lbs of calf per acre (610 lbs) than the common bermudagrass/dallisgrass pastures (520 lbs).

Technical Abstract: This research was designed to examine genotype by environment interactions in cow-calf growth performance of grazing animals. Angus and Brangus cow-calf pairs (minimum of n=6 per breed) were allowed to rotationally graze 14 d intervals) treatment pastures from approximately May through September (early-October weaning) in each of three years. Treatment pastures contained relatively pure stands of Alicia bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] (AP) or a mixed stand of common bermudagrass and dallisgrass [Paspalum dilatatum Poir.] (CDP). Forage allowance was equalized, using "put-and-take" cow-calf pairs, between forage and breed types at the initiation of each 14-d grazing interval. Forage CP was greater (P<.05; 12.9% vs 11.3%) and forage NDF was less (P<.01; 63.6% vs 69.7%) for CDP than AP. Forage DMI was greater (P<.05) for AP compared to CDP (1.47 kg/kg vs 1.13 kg/kg) and for Angus compared to Brangus cow-calf pairs (1.45 kg/kg vs 1.15 kg/kg). Daily weight loss, which was similar for Angus and Brangus cows, was three-fold greater (P<.01) for cows grazing AP than CDP. Calf ADG during the grazing season was 32% greater (P<.01) for CDP contrasted with AP pastures and was 23% faster (P<.01) for Brangus than Angus calves. With few exception, the breed x forage interaction was not a significant source of variation. Relative performance of Angus and Brangus cow-calf pairs was consistent between forages.