Changes in Forage Quality and Cattle Performance with Short-Duration Grazing of Mesic Meadows in the Intermountain West

Abstract

Managers tasked with balancing livestock production and wildlife habitat in mesic meadows face a unique set of challenges. These challenges are compounded in the arid western United States because mesic areas comprise only a small portion of the landscape yet provide vital forage and water resources to livestock and wildlife and are essential to underlying ecosystem integrity and function. Our objectives were to compare the effects of short-duration grazing treatments that varied by season and intensity on the quantity and nutrient quality of pasture forage and average daily gains (ADG) of yearling cattle. We established pastures (n = 15 total pastures) in mesic meadows at the University of Idaho Rinker Rock Creek Ranch in south-central Idaho and stocked them with heifers during 2019 and 2020. Heifers grazed six pastures in June (early-season; 16 d) and six pastures in August (late-season; 16 d) at moderate (30−40%) and high (70-80%) relative utilization levels (n = 3 pastures per treatment). Three pastures were not grazed by cattle representing controls. Forage was collected and analyzed for nutrient quality at pregrazing, postgrazing, and after a period of regrowth in late September. Contrasted against all other treatments, early-season grazing at a high-intensity produced forages with the highest crude protein (P < 0.001) and lowest neutral-detergent fiber (P ≤ 0.04) after regrowth. ADGs of yearling heifers were greater (P ≤ 0.01) during the first year of the trial than the second year. Differences in ADG were not associated with grazing season (P = 0.08) or intensity (P = 0.12), despite numeric differences. Forage quantity and quality and heifer ADG responses varied between years, likely due to spring and annual precipitation differences. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of early-season grazing at a high intensity for improving forage quality and increasing ADG of livestock grazing mesic meadows.