Abstract
Supplements to winter forage were evaluated in a grazing trial with 99 mature gestating-lactating cows and in a second study with 4 ruminally cannulated cows fed harvested 4.9% CP native hay. The grazing cows were supplemented with 1) low level [LL, .54kg cottonseed meal (CSM)], 2) positive control (PC, 1.06kg CSM), 3) alfalfa hay (AH, 2.27 kg), 4) wheat middlings (WM, 2.78 kg), 5) CSM plus beet pulp (CSM+BP, .54kg CSM+2.08kg BP). The cannulated cows were supplemented with control (C), 5% CSM (CSM), CSM+15% BP (15BP), and CSM+30% BP (30BP) in a 4×4 Latin square. Grazing trial daily gestation weight change was: .00, .26, .24, .18 and .65 kg/d for treatments 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively. Calf birth weights, calving percentage, milk production, and rebreeding rate were not affected by treatments. Estimated daily forage DM intake was lower (P<.05) for LL and WM cows than for the PC cows. Forage DM intake of the cannulated cows was greater (P<.05) for CSM and 15BP than C and 30BP. Forage DM digestibility was not different (P>.05) for C, CSM, and 15BP. Ruminal fluid dilution rate, volume, and turnover time were not affected (P>.05) by supplementation. Rate of passage and in situ hay DM disappearance was faster (P<.05) for supplemented treatments than for the control. Cottonseed meal and 15BP appeared to be better protein supplements than AH or WM for weight gain in gestating wintering beef cows.
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