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UTILIZATION OF WET BREWERS GRAIN AS A WINTER FEED SUPPLMENT FOR BEEF COWS GRAZING NATIVE ANNUAL GRASSLANDS.
Author
Woodmansee, Grace E.
Bohn, Kaylee N.
Doyle, S. Patrick
Daley, David A.
Davy, Josh S.
Flavell, Dustin
Schweitzer, Nikolai
DeAtley, Kasey L.
Publisher
Society for Range Management
Publication Year
2017
Body

Objectives of this study were to determine the effects of wet brewers grain (WBG) as a winter supplement on cow and calf performance while grazing native annual grasslands.� The study was conducted at the Sierra Foothill Research and Extension Center (Browns Valley, CA) during 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 winter grazing seasons (i.e., November-January). A total of 92, fall-calving Angus x Hereford cows grazing native annual pastures (12.12 ha/pair for 84 d; 3.56% CP, 39.3% TDN, 75.3% NDF) were supplemented with either molasses low moisture protein block, available ad libitum (CON; n = 28; CP: 26%) or WBG (fed 3 times/wk; formulated to offer 0.68 kg CP head/d on DM basis; CP: 26%). Treatment groups were housed in adjacent pastures during the 84 d supplementation period and weights were taken in 28 d intervals. Dependent variables included: cow and calf BW and cow BCS. Data were analyzed as a randomized block design where block = year of study. Treatment x block interaction was not significant (P�> 0.05). Calves were born prior to beginning of study each year and calf date of birth was fit as a covariate. Brewers grain supplemented cows were heavier on d 56 compared to CON cows (560.63 vs. 529.86 � 13.99 kg;�P�= 0.03). Similarly, WBG calves were also heavier on d 56 compared to CON calves (117.97 vs. 110.06 � 3.72 kg;�P�= 0.03). Calves born to WBG supplemented cows tended (P�< 0.10) to be heavier than those of CON supplemented cows on d 0 (57.96 vs. 58.81 � 2.73 kg) and d 86 (141.64 vs. 152.03 � 3.74 kg). Results indicate that cows and calves supplemented with WBG recovered weight more quickly than those consuming liquid protein supplement. Therefore, WBG may have considerable potential as a winter protein supplement on California grasslands; however, economic analyses need further investigation.

Language
English
Resource Type
Text
Document Type
Conference Proceedings
Conference Name
SRM St. George, UT
Collection
SRM Annual Meeting Abstracts