Grazing System Influences on Cattle Performance on Mountain Range

Abstract

A 5-year study was conducted to evaluate the influences of rest-rotation, deferred-rotation, and season-long grazing systems on cattle diet botanical composition and quality and weight gains on mountain rangeland in northeastern Oregon. The grazing season in each year lasted from 20 June to 10 October. Esophageally fistulated animals were used to evaluate diet quality and botanical composition. All study pastures included forest, grassland, and meadow vegetation types. Each pasture had a north and southfacing slope divided by a riparian zone and creek. The grazing pressure for each system was similar. Grazing intensity was the same as National Forest Allotments in the area. There were no differences (P>.05) in weight gains among the 3 systems when data were pooled across years. Crude protein, in vitro organic matter digestibility, and acid detergent fiber percentages in fistula samples did not differ (P>.05) among systems for any year of study or for data pooled across years. Mid-season movements of cattle under the rest-rotation system had little influence on their diet and performance compared with cattle under the season-long system. Key forages in cattle diets were Idaho fescue (Festuca idahoensis), bluebunch wheatgrass (Agropyron spicatum), and common snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus). Cattle diet botanical composition under the 3 grazing systems did not differ (P>.05).