Summer and Fall Forage Grazing Combinations: Five-Year Summary

Authors

Drew Shain, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Terry J. Klopfenstein, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
D. J. Jordon, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Rick Stock, Cargill, Blair, NE

Date of this Version

January 1998

Comments

Published in Nebraska Beef Cattle Report 1998, published by Agricultural Research Division, University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension, and Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

Abstract

A five-year study using British-breed crossbred cattle included slaughter breakeven analysis and evaluated the effect of grazing alternative summer and fall forages on beef production systems. Grazed summer and fall forage combinations included continuous brome and combinations of brome, warm-season grasses, alfalfa, sudangrass, red clover, native Sandhills range, turnips, rye and cornstalks. The most consistent improvement in summer grazing gain and most desirable slaughter breakeven costs were observed in cattle grazing brome and warm-season grasses or brome and Sandhills range. A reduction in slaughter breakeven cost by grazing fall forages was observed in years with adequate moisture for forage growth. Forages maximizing grazing gain most greatly reduced slaughter breakeven cost.