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.
Oral presentation and poster titles, abstracts, and authors from the Society for Range Management (SRM) Annual Meetings and Tradeshows, from 2013 forward.