Supplementation of dormant tallgrass-prairie forage: II. Performance and forage utilization characteristics in grazing beef cattle receiving supplements of different protein concentrations.

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the influence of supplemental protein concentration on the intake and utilization of dormant range forage by beef cattle. In Exp. 1,97 pregnant Hereford x Angus cows (avg wt = 454 kg) were assigned randomly to three isocaloric treatment supplements: 1) low protein (LP), 13% CP; 2) moderate protein (MP), 25% CP; and 3) high protein (HP), 39% CP. In Exp. 2, 15 ruminally and 12 esophageally cannulated steers (avg wt = 319 and 355 kg, respectively) were assigned randomly to LP, MP and HP treatments and were used in a 22-d winter grazing trial to evaluate forage intake and utilization characteristics. In Exp. 1, cow body condition (BC) and BW changes responded in linear (P less than .01) and quadratic (P less than .01) fashions to increasing protein concentration, with MP and HP displaying the least BC and BW loss from trial initiation (d 1) through d 84. From d 84 to calving (avg calving date = d 120), only the HP supplement continued to be effective in minimizing BC loss (P less than .01). Calf birth weight tended (P = .17) to increase in a linear fashion to increasing supplemental protein concentration, but calf ADG and cow reproductive efficiency were unaffected (P greater than .10). In Exp. 2, forage OM intake responded in a quadratic fashion (P less than .10), with the MP treatment having the highest NDF digestibility and ruminal OM fill. In conclusion, beef cow BC and BW losses during the winter grazing period were minimized with increasing supplemental CP concentration. Intake and utilization of dormant forage by steers were improved with moderate (26%) levels of CP in the supplement.