Grazing Management of Crested Wheatgrass Range for Yearling Steers

Abstract

Sixty, spring-born, yearling steers of Angus-Hereford breeding were used to compare continuous vs short duration grazing on crested wheatgrass range. Grazing trials were conducted in two successive years. Grazing fields to remove about 30% of available forage and then moving to a fresh field increased (P<.05) daily gains of steers compared to continuous grazing. However, this increase occurred late in the grazing season with no apparent initial advantage for short duration grazing. The effect of grazing treatments on forage yields and quality resulted in several management implications. These implications and further research needs are discussed.