Cubed Alfalfa Hay or Cottonseed Meal-Barley as Supplements for Beef Cows Grazing Fall-Winter Range

Abstract

A 2-year study evaluated the efficacy of supplements for beef cows grazing mixed grass prairie during the fall and winter. Cows were allotted to 3 treatments: (1) range forage only, (2) range forage plus 1.2-1.3 kg alfalfa cubes hd-1 d-1, and (3) range forage plus .9 kg cottonseed meal-barley cake hd-1 d-1. Supplements were fed daily to provide approximately 50% of crude protein requirements. Treatment effects did not depend (P<0.10) on year for independent variables evaluated. Although weather conditions differed among years, observed changes in weight and condition score were similar (P<0.10) for both years. Supplemented cows gained weight; but supplement type did not influence weight gains. In contrast, unsupplemented cows displayed significant weight loss. Supplemented cows either maintained or slightly increased in body condition during the fall-winter period. However, body condition of unsupplemented cows decreased (P<.05) compared with condition of supplemented cows. Supplementation with alfalfa cubes resulted in similar performance compared with supplementation with cottonseed meal-barley cake. Supplementing diets of wintering range cows with feeds high in protein improved performance compared with no supplementation.