Steer Performance Within Summer Grazing Systems

Authors

D. J. Jordon, University of Nebraska - Linocln
Galen E. Erickson, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Terry J. Klopfenstein, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Don C. Adams, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Todd Milton, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Rob Cooper, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Date of this Version

January 1999

Comments

Published in 1999 Nebraska Beef Cattle Report. Published by Agricultural Research Division & University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension , Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Abstract

A growing/finishing trial in 1996-97 evaluated summer grazing systems and subsequent finishing performance. Steers were wintered on cornstalks and assigned to one of three summer grazing systems: 1) Sequential removal of cattle from bromegrass, 2) Bromegrass/warm season grass, or 3) Sandhills range. Steers on the sequential bromegrass treatment gained fastest in the summer, but had a higher slaughter breakeven. Sequential bromegrass, steers were on grass where cost of grain was fixed, for fewer days; therefore, breakeven was increased. Steers on the bromegrass/ warm-season treatment had the lowest slaughter breakevens due to more total weight gain on forage. Slaughter breakevens were similar between the sequential bromegrass and Sandhills range treatments.