Stockpiled Tifton 85 bermudagrass for backgrounding stocker cattle.

Area of Science:

• Animal Science
• Forage Management
• Ruminant Nutrition

Background:

• Fall forage deficit in the southeastern US limits stocker cattle production.
• Tifton 85 bermudagrass (T85) can be stockpiled for late-season grazing.
• Conserved forages like T85 hay are alternatives during forage scarcity.

Purpose of the Study:

• Evaluate conserved forage types (stockpiled T85 vs. T85 hay) for stocker cattle.
• Determine the effect of different supplement types on stocker performance.
• Assess forage quality and quantity dynamics during the fall deficit period.

Main Methods:

• Two-year grazing trial with stocker steers (initial BW 263 ± 30 kg).
• Treatments: stockpiled T85 or T85 hay, with varying levels of cottonseed meal and soybean hulls.
• Forage mass, allowance, utilization, and nutritive value were monitored.

Main Results:

• No differences in pregrazing forage mass, allowance, or utilization among treatments.
• Stockpiled T85 forage quality declined over the grazing season.
• Steers fed T85 hay had greater final BW and ADG than those grazing stockpiled T85.
• Supplementation increased final BW and ADG compared to unsupplemented controls.

Conclusions:

• Stockpiled T85 supplemented with protein and energy supports maintenance gains in stocker cattle.
• Achieving target gains (0.9 kg/day) requires higher supplementation levels to offset declining forage quality.
• T85 hay may offer better performance than grazing stockpiled T85 without increased supplementation.