Abstract
Four hundred thirty-two yearling steers grazing tall fescue pastures were used to evaluate the effects of fescue cultivar and dried distillers grains (DDG) supplementation during the grazing phase on available forage, grazing gains, subsequent finishing gains, and carcass characteristics. Fescue cultivars evaluated were highendophyte ‘Kentucky 31’ and low-endophyte ‘Kentucky 31,’ ‘HM4,’ and ‘MaxQ.’ Steers were either fed no supplement or were supplemented with DDG at 1.0% body weight per head daily in 2009 or 0.75% of body weight per head daily in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014 while grazing. Steers that grazed pastures of lowendophyte ‘Kentucky 31,’ ‘HM4,’ or ‘MaxQ’ gained significantly more (P 0.05). Subsequent finishing gains were similar (P > 0.05) among fescue cultivars in 2009, 2012, 2013, and 2014; however, steers that previously grazed highendophyte ‘Kentucky 31’ had greater (P > 0.05) finishing gains than those that had grazed ‘HM4’ or ‘MaxQ’ in 2010 and greater (P < 0.05) finishing gains than those that grazed low-endophyte ‘Kentucky 31’ or ‘HM4’ in 2011. Supplementation of grazing steers with DDG supported a higher stocking rate and resulted in greater (P < 0.05) grazing gain, gain/a, and overall daily gain and reduced the amount of fertilizer needed by providing approximately 60 lb/a, 50 lb/a, 50 lb/a, 30 lb/a, 40 lb/a, and 40 lb/a of nitrogen (N) in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014, respectively, primarily from urine of grazing cattle.
Highlights
Tall fescue, the most widely adapted cool-season perennial grass in the United States, is grown on approximately 66 million acres
Four hundred thirty-two yearling steers grazing tall fescue pastures were used to evaluate the effects of fescue cultivar and dried distillers grains (DDG) supplementation during the grazing phase on available forage, grazing gains, subsequent finishing gains, and carcass characteristics
In 2010, no difference occurred (P > 0.05) in average available forage dry matter (DM) within variety for high-endophyte ‘Kentucky 31,’ low-endophyte ‘Kentucky 31,’ or ‘HM4’ pastures stocked with 0.8 steer/a that received no supplement and those stocked with 1.0 steer/a and supplemented with DDG at 0.75% body weight per head daily (Table 14); ‘MaxQ’ pastures that were stocked at the heavier rate and grazed by steers supplemented with DDG had greater (P < 0.05) average available forage DM than those stocked at a lighter rate and grazed by steers that received no supplement
Summary
Four hundred thirty-two yearling steers grazing tall fescue pastures were used to evaluate the effects of fescue cultivar and dried distillers grains (DDG) supplementation during the grazing phase on available forage, grazing gains, subsequent finishing gains, and carcass characteristics. Fescue cultivars evaluated were high-endophyte ‘Kentucky 31’ and low-endophyte ‘Kentucky 31,’ ‘HM4,’ and ‘MaxQ.’ Steers were either fed no supplement or were supplemented with DDG at 1.0% body weight per head daily in 2009 or 0.75% of body weight per head daily in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014 while grazing. Subsequent finishing gains were similar (P > 0.05) among fescue cultivars in 2009, 2012, 2013, and 2014; steers that previously grazed high-endophyte ‘Kentucky 31’ had greater (P > 0.05) finishing gains than those that had grazed ‘HM4’ or ‘MaxQ’ in 2010 and greater (P < 0.05) finishing gains than those that grazed low-endophyte ‘Kentucky 31’ or ‘HM4’ in 2011. Supplementation of grazing steers with DDG supported a higher stocking rate and resulted in greater (P < 0.05) grazing gain, gain/a, and overall daily gain and reduced the amount of fertilizer needed by providing approximately 60 lb/a, 50 lb/a, 50 lb/a, 30 lb/a, 40 lb/a, and 40 lb/a of nitrogen (N) in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014, respectively, primarily from urine of grazing cattle
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