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Further Studies on the Utilization of Alfalfa by Beef Steers

University of California^1,2,

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted with beef steers in a study of methods used in the utilization of alfalfa; namely, 5 to 7-day rotational grazing, 1-day rotational grazing, strip grazing, haying and soiling. In one experiment, forage consumption was measured through the use of fecal collections and forage digestibility determined from the chromogen concentration in the feces. Average daily gain for the steers fed green forage in the form of pasture and soilage was the same, while there was a significant decrease in daily gain when the animals were fed alfalfa in the form of hay. In one experiment, the amounts of beef produced per acre expressed as percentages of that produced by the soilage was 77, 79, and 85 for 7-day rotational grazing, 1-day rotational grazing, and haying, respectively, while in the other experiment these were 64, 68, and 79 for 5-day rotational grazing, strip grazing, and haying, respectively. The amount of forage consumed by the steers on pasture was considerably less than that consumed by the steers fed soilage but was of a much higher nutritive value because of selective grazing. Dry matter consumption by the steers fed hay was greater than that of the steers fed soilage and pasture.

¹ Department of Animal Husbandry, Davis, California.

² The authors express their appreciation to M. L. Peterson, Department of Agronomy for his advice on the design and conduct of the experiment; P. R. Trask and D. Gaskin for their care of the animals at the Imperial Valley Field Station; J. L. Hull and Ralph Arthur for the management of the field and animals at Davis; and J. D. Smith for the chromogen analyses.