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A 72-d trial was conducted to estimate the combined effect of forage allowance and a fiber-based energy supplement in stocker cattle grazing wheat. Eight pastures (2.7 to 5.1 ha) each contained seven test steers (initial BW = 210 ± 36 kg). Weekly, additional steers were stocked in each pasture in a put and take method to achieve forage allowance of either 2.5 or 5.5 kg forage DM / kg steer BW (4 pastures each). Two pastures in each forage allowance were fed daily with a supplement containing 50% wheat midds and 50% soybean hulls at the rate of 1.5 kg per steer. Forage mass was measured twice weekly using a calibrated rising plate meter. Cattle were weighed weekly on calibrated scales. Data were analyzed using linear regression with pasture as the experimental unit. Mean ADG was 1.36 kg/d. One pasture in the high forage allowance, non-supplemented treatment was removed because we were unable to maintain the designed forage allowance. The interaction of forage allowance and supplement was not significant (P = 0.37) for ADG, and supplementation did not affect ADG (P = 0.20), however increased forage allowance tended to improve ADG (P = 0.06, 0.21 kg ADG per kg forage allowance). To further investigate forage DMI, a 14-d trial began on day 36. Three of the seven test steers in each pasture were randomly chosen and administered 7 ± 0.1 g of TiO2 daily at 0700 as an external marker to estimate fecal output. Forage DMI (at an assumed 72% DM digestibility) averaged 2.1% of midpoint BW, below our expectation. Additional forage allowance tended to improve estimated forage DMI (P= 0.06), but supplement had minimal effect (P = 0.30). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Use of cool-season perennial grasses may decrease annual establishment cost and improve returns to stocker cattle producers. The objective of this 5-yr field study was to compare the performance of two stocker cattle grazing forage systems: cool-season annual (rye [Secale cereale L.]-annual ryegrass [Lolium multifiorum Lam.]) vs. cool-season perennial tall fescue [Schedonorus arundinaceus (Schreb.) Dumort; formerly Festuca arundinacea Schreb., 'Texoma'], with a nontoxic endophyte (MaxQ II). Paddocks of four replicates consisted of a cereal rye and annual ryegrass mixture that was planted annually in early September 2005 through 2009, whereas tall fescue was planted once in late September 2005. Steers (273 ± 55kg initial body weight) were weighed every 28 d of each grazing season, and stocking rates were adjusted with put-and-take steers based on forage mass. In each 28-d grazing period, forage mass, forage nutritive value, and stocker average daily gain (ADG) and total gain (TG) were measured. Animals performed well in both systems with ADG of 1.05 and 0.93 kg d-1, and TG of 491 and 349 kg ha-1 for rye-annual rye- grass and tall fescue, respectively. The 5-yr average annual production cost was less for the tall fescue system ($336 ha-1) than for the rye-annual ryegrass system ($455 ha-1). The assumed amortization of the tall fescue was especially influential on net return; with a 5-yr amortization, net return was greater for the rye-annual ryegrass ($279 ha-1) than for the tall fescue ($217 ha-1) system, but with 12-yr amortization, the net return of these two systems was identical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]