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Title: STOCKING RATE AND GRAZING MANAGEMENT IMPACTS ON BEEF AND HAY PRODUCTION FROM BERMUDAGRASS/WINTER ANNUAL PASTURE

Author
item Cassida, Kimberly
item STEWART, C - UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
item BECK, P - UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
item GUNTER, S - UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS

Submitted to: American Forage and Grassland Council Conference Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/1/2003
Publication Date: 4/27/2003
Citation: CASSIDA, K.A., STEWART, C.B., BECK, P.A., GUNTER, S.A. STOCKING RATE AND GRAZING MANAGEMENT IMPACTS ON BEEF AND HAY PRODUCTION FROM BERMUDAGRASS/WINTER ANNUAL PASTURE. AMERICAN FORAGE AND GRASSLAND COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS. 2003. v. 12. p. 207-211.

Interpretive Summary: Rotational stocking systems for pasture management are promoted as beneficial to cattle weight gains and cost of production, and more environmentally friendly than continuous stocking systems. However, hard data to prove this have been elusive, possibly as an artifact of experimental designs. We compared rotational and continuous stocking systems at three stocking rates in order to determine whether stocking rate was an important component of success to rotational systems for stocker calves. Results indicate that use of a high stocking rate is critical to success of such systems, especially on high quality winter annual forages. Use of low stocking rate rotational systems led to poor calf gains. This work is useful to agricultural agencies promoting rotational stocking management because it illustrates the ability of such management to impact not only animal productivity, but also improve forage supplies through increased hay harvests and reduced hay use. It will assist in convincing American farmers to adopt technologies that improve farm profitability.

Technical Abstract: We evaluated the relationship between grazing system (continuous vs rotational stocking) and stocking rate (2, 3, or 4 calves/ac) for stocker calves grazing winter annual forages (wheat/annual ryegrass/crimson clover/berseem clover) overseeded onto bermudagrass. The grazing season encompassed mid-February through late September from 1999 to 2001. There was a significant interaction of stocking rate with grazing system, such that average daily gain (ADG) and gain/acre were better for C at low stocking rates and better for R at high stocking rates. Most of the season gain/acre and divergence between treatments occurred prior to the time of bermudagrass dominance in swards. More hay was harvested and less was fed on R systems than on C systems. The C system fed more hay than was harvested when stocked at the medium and high rates. Under rotational stocking, control of the forage supply was better than under continuous stocking at all stocking rate levels, but benefits to animal performance under rotation were only seen at the highest stocking rate.