Supplementation of Growing Beef Heifers With Starch or Highly Digestible Fiber Supplements

Guillermo Scaglia

doi:10.5539/jas.v12n4p14

Abstract

Producers are interested in cost-effective forage-based heifer development programs with supplemental feeding, if needed, of a single supplement (reducing the cost of mixed rations) so that it would meet their nutrient requirements. For three consecutive years, the effect of two levels of ground corn (GC) and soybean hulls pellets (SB), were evaluated on performance and grazing behavior of 90 replacement beef crossbred heifers (BW = 235&plusmn;17 kg; average of 10.8 months of age) grazing annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum; cv. &lsquo;Nelson&rsquo;) at low stocking rate. Treatments were: 1) no supplementation (CON); 2) 0.5% BW of ground corn (GC05); 3) 0.5% BW of soybean hull pellets (SB05); 4) 1% BW of ground corn (GC1); and 5) 1% BW of soybean hull pellets (SB1). Lower levels of supplements (0.5% BW) allowed for greater (P &lt; 0.05) ADG (1.26 and 1.21 kg for GC05 and SB05, respectively), production per hectare and lower age and BW at puberty. Ground corn or SB at 1% BW negatively affected (P &lt; 0.05) growth (0.88 and 0.95 kg, respectively), reproductive performance, number of steps, and grazing time (329 and 354 minutes, respectively) of heifers. Patch grazing time and bite rate were affected (P &lt; 0.05) by grazing period due to changes in nutritive value of annual ryegrass and search for newly grown green leaves. Beef replacement heifers stocked at a low stocking rate with no supplementation may have a better development when compared to 1% BW supplementation using GC or SB and similar to a 0.5% BW supplementation level.

Highlights

Producers are interested in cost-effective forage-based development programs, with supplemental feeding of a single supplement if needed, so that would meet the nutrient requirements of young replacement heifers
Stocking rate is defined as the relationship between the number of animals and the grazing management unit utilized over a specified time period (Forage and Grazing Terminology Committee, 1991)
Replacement heifers represent the generation of cows in a herd and ideally each year’s cohort of heifers should be genetically superior for commercially important traits compared with their predecessors

Summary

Introduction

Producers are interested in cost-effective forage-based development programs, with supplemental feeding of a single supplement (reducing the cost of mixed rations) if needed, so that would meet the nutrient requirements of young replacement heifers. Byerley, Staigmiller, Berardinelli, and Short (1987) and Perry et al (1991) demonstrated that the pregnancy rate of beef heifers increased an average of 20% at their 3rd estrous compared to previous cycles. These data support the concept that earlier onset of puberty will impact conception rates throughout the animal’s lifetime, increasing productivity but most importantly the economic and financial efficiency of the herd (Day & Nogueira, 2013)

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Conclusion