Diets and Liveweight Changes of Cattle Grazing Burned Gulf Cordgrass

Abstract

We investigated effects of fall burning of gulf cordgrass (Spartina spartinae) rangeland on winter diets and liveweight gains of cattle on the Texas Coastal Prairie during 1979-1981. Gulf cordgrass dominated steer diets (21-76%) regardless of burning treatment. However, Texas wintergrass (Stipa leucotricha) on adjacent upland sites accounted for 13 to 36% of animal diets during winter growth periods. Burning increased dietary crude protein content from January to March in all years and increased in vitro organic matter digestibility during February and March. Cattle gained or maintained weights on burned pastures but maintained or lost weight on unburned pastures. Weight gains of animals with access to burned gulf cordgrass, but not Texas wintergrass, equaled gains of animals grazing unburned gulf cordgrass and Texas wintergrass. Burned gulf cordgrass can provide alternative green forage that will improve diet quality of cattle when cool-season species are absent.