Stocking Rate and Supplementation of Stocker Cattle Grazing Wheat Pasture Interseeded into Bermudagrass in Northern Arkansas

Abstract

During a 2-yr study, 48 steers (24/yr, initial BW = 240 ± 2.9 kg in yr 1 and 325 ± 1.6kg in yr 2) wereplaced on 8 Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon [L.] Pers.) pastures (1.6 ha, n = 4; 2.4 ha, n = 4) interseeded with wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), creating stocking rates of 0.81 ha/steer (LOW) or 0.54 ha/steer (HIGH). Steers in LOW pastures were offered either no supplement or were fed soybean hulls (SBH) at a rate of 0.5% of BW. Steers in HIGH were fed SBH at either 0.5 or 0.75% of BW. Bermudagrass hay was offered ad libitum to all pastures. Data were analyzed as a completely randomized design; stocking rate and supplementation treatment combinations were the main effects, pasture was the experimental unit, and year was a random effect. Final BW, total BW gain, and ADG did not differ (P ≥ 0.14). Increasing stocking rates increased (P = 0.01) grazing-d per hectare by 50% and tended (P = 0.07) to increase hay disappearance per hectare. Body weight gain per hectare tended (P = 0.09) to increase 14kg for LOW fed 0.5% BW vs. unsup plemented LOW. Increased stocking rate increased (P < 0.01) BW gain per hectare by 63% compared with unsupple-mented LOW and by 44% compared with LOW fed 0.5% BW. Results of the study indicated that feeding moderate levels of SBH to steers grazing wheat pasture will facilitate increases in stocking rate and BW gain per hectare. Furthermore, the added cost of supplementation can be partially offset by reductions in hay requirements.