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Forrages for Beef Cattle - Texas A&M University

Pasture forages for beef Cattle can be roughly dividedinto five categories warm-season perennials, warm-sea-son annuals, cool-season perennials, cool-season annualsand legumes for pastures. Each of these forage typescan meet the nutritional requirements of beef cattlewhen they are at their peak production (Figure 1).However, none are able to satisfy the nutritional needsof a cow with calf or a growing animal, which are attheir low point in PerennialsWarm-season perennial pastures tend to be the bestgrasses for a cow-calf operation because they do nothave to be planted each year. Once established, thesepastures continue to produce for many years. The annual grasses are the most expensive grasses for foragebecause they must be planted each year, the seed iscostly, there is a limited production season and theyrequire high rates of perennial pastures, such as bermuda-grass, bahiagrass or kleingrass, generally have a longergrowing season than cool-season plants.

Warm-season perennial grasses respond well to fertil-ization and, with heavy fertilization, can produce large amounts of hay or grazing per acre.

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Transcription of Forrages for Beef Cattle - Texas A&M University

1 Pasture forages for beef Cattle can be roughly dividedinto five categories warm-season perennials, warm-sea-son annuals, cool-season perennials, cool-season annualsand legumes for pastures. Each of these forage typescan meet the nutritional requirements of beef cattlewhen they are at their peak production (Figure 1).However, none are able to satisfy the nutritional needsof a cow with calf or a growing animal, which are attheir low point in PerennialsWarm-season perennial pastures tend to be the bestgrasses for a cow-calf operation because they do nothave to be planted each year. Once established, thesepastures continue to produce for many years. The annual grasses are the most expensive grasses for foragebecause they must be planted each year, the seed iscostly, there is a limited production season and theyrequire high rates of perennial pastures, such as bermuda-grass, bahiagrass or kleingrass, generally have a longergrowing season than cool-season plants.

2 Since they areperennial plants, they regrow from roots each they do not have to re-establish yearly, theymaintain top forage production for longer periods. Theyalso tend to be lower in digestibility and in proteinbecause of the fiber buildup during the warmer part ofthe growing *Professor and Extension Forage Specialist and Associate ProfessorEmeritus1,600 (80)1,000 (50)1,400 (70)1,200 (60)Digestible energy, KCAL/LB (% TON)WarmseasonperennialgrassesCoolseason perennialgrassesWarmseasonannualgrassesC oolseasonannualgrassesLegumesFirst calf heiferBeef cow/calf, wean 600 cow/calf, wean 500 , pregnant cow gaining conditionFigure 1. Variation in energy content of various forages relative to the requirements of various classes of for beef CattleDavid Bade and Donald J. Dorsett*Warm-season perennial grasses respond well to fertil-ization and, with heavy fertilization, can produce largeamounts of hay or grazing per acre.

3 If fertilized andmanaged properly, they work well in almost any live-stock production AnnualsWarm-seasoned annual grasses, such as the sudans or forage sorghums, play definite roles in livestock pro-duction. Being annual plants, they are expensivebecause land must be prepared and seeded offer higher quality (digestibility) grazing thanperennial warm-season plants, but their productionperiod is shorter. They use less fertilizer, will serve astemporary pasture and maintain a relatively high carry-ing capacity of two or three animals per acre for 30- to45-day periods. Their prime role in forage production,however, is for high quality hay. Cool-Season PerennialsCool-season perennial plants have limited use inTexas. Tall fescue and tall wheatgrass are the only cool-season perennial plants that adapt to Texas generally do not offer high quality nutrition formaximum animal AnnualsAlthough cool-season annual plants, such as oats,wheat, rye, barley, triticale and ryegrass, are expensivepastures because of the cost to establish each year, they are high in nutritional value.

4 Winter annuals arebest adapted to stocker operations or to cow-calf combi-nation programs. Because of their expense, annual pastures may not be the best types of pastures for drypregnant cows, which can be maintained very well onless expensive forages such as high quality forages might also be considered for a live-stock operation. Temperate legumes include clovers,medics, peas, vetch and alfalfa. They can be over-seeded into permanent pastures or seeded with winterannual pastures. Legumes have the unique ability to fixtheir own nitrogen if they are properly inoculated(nitrogen-fixing bacteria is added to the legume seedbefore planting). They require high levels of phospho-rus, potassium and, in acid soil, lime. Cool-season ortemperate legumes produce most of their growth duringthe late winter-spring period, when they are very usefulin beef Cattle operations.

5 Warm-season or tropicallegumes, such as cowpea, soybean, and peanut, can provide high quality forage during the , they are used as a salvage crop in droughtyears when they do not yield well as a Year-round Forage SystemNo grass meets the production and quality require-ments of livestock year-round. Consequently, livestockproducers can benefit by combining two or more forageplants into a forage system. By growing adapted sum-mer and winter forage species, livestock producers canfurnish grazing for most of the year. Although thisrequires management and planning, it reduces hay andfeed or overseeding legumes or small grains inconjunction with a warm-season perennial pastureoffers several advantages over clean-tilled or preparedseedbed cool-season pastures: Sodseeding allows a longer productive period forany given acre of ground.

6 The cool-season grassmay not be as productive as on a clean-tilledseedbed, but using with a warm-season perennialplant, the sodseeded pastures will extend thespring green- grazing period by as much as 60 days. If winter pastures are adequately fertilized, thebase grass or warm-season grass also benefits. Sodseeded pastures offer a higher level of nutritionand enhance animal warm-season perennial grass (bermudagrass,bahiagrass, kleingrass or even native grasses) can beoverseeded. The problem is competition in late springbetween an overseeded pasture and a warm seasonperennial pasture that is beginning to grow. There isdirect, heavy competition in this overlap growth period for nutrients, moisture and sunlight. During dry springs, an overseeded winter pasture takes the elements for growth and might completely retard thegrowth of a warm-season grass.

7 Heavy competition withthe warm-season grasses may result in a thinning ofnative or bunch grass stands when they are by Agricultural Communications, The Texas A&M University SystemExtension publications can be found on the Web at: programs of Texas Cooperative Extension are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age or national in furtherance of Cooperative Extension Work in Agriculture and Home Economics, Acts of Congress of May 8, 1914, as amended, and June 30,1914, in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture. Chester P. Fehlis, Director, Texas Cooperative Extension, The Texas A&MUniversity System.


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