Author
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PHILLIPS, WILLIAM |
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HORN, G - OK AG EXPERIMENT STATION |
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Submitted to: Professional Animal Scientist
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 3/1/1998 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Millions of young cattle are used to graze pastures in the summer before entering the feedlot. The amount of protein in the grass declines during the last half of the grazing season and limits the animal growth. Protein supplements containing plant-by-products, such as soybeans and cottonseed, and fed during the last half of the grazing season have been shown to increase animal performance. To limit intake of these highly palatable and expensive supplements, they are hand fed, but this technique increases labor cost. Our research was conducted to determine if self-fed protein supplements could be used. In cooperation with industry, we used compressed molasses blocks or liquid molasses based protein supplements and allowed the cattle to feed themselves. The cattle readily consumed the compressed blocks and liquid supplements and intake could be controlled without daily feeding restrictions. Animal gain was increased by 37% over cattle not receiving any supplement and the liquid and compressed block supplementation technique was as effective as hand feeding a dry all-plant protein supplement. With this data, the companies that cooperated in this project were able to receive FDA clearance for producers to use compressed molasses blocks and liquid supplements for stocker cattle on warm season grasses. Technical Abstract: The objective of this experiment was to determine if molasses-based supplements containing nonprotein nitrogen (NPN) fed daily could increase the performance of summer stocker cattle grazing ¿Midland' bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon [L] Pers.) pastures as efficiently as an all-plant protein supplement fed three times weekly. Over three summer grazing seasons (1989 through 1991) cross-bred steers (n=420, mean BW=255 kg) were randomly assigned to either a non-supplemented group (all three years) or to the following supplemented treatment groups; 1) 3.2 kg of 38% CP plant protein supplement fed in three equal portions per week during the last half of the grazing season (all three years), 2) ad libitum access throughout the grazing season to compressed molasses block containing 37% CP with 16% CP equivalents from NPN (Year 1), or limit access to a cane molasses NPN based liquid CP supplement provided in a lick tank. The liquid supplement used in Year 2 contained 16% CP with 10% CP equivalents from NPN, while in Year 3 the liquid supplement contained 24% CP 18.5% CP equivalents from NPN. All supplements contained lasalocid. Data were analyzed within year as a completely randomized design using pasture as the experimental unit. Providing supplemental protein significantly increased ADG (.51 vs .69 kg). Molasses-based supplements fed either as compressed blocks or a liquid supplement were as effective as a dry all-plant protein supplement for increasing ADG of steers grazing bermudagrass during the summer. |
