05/14/1991

Tennessee Valley Cattlemen Hear AU Research Reports

BELLE MINA, Ala.— AU Triumph, a variety of fescue developed by researchers in Auburn University's Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station, continues to be the top producing fungus-free fescue in tests at the Tennessee Valley Substation, according to Auburn researcher David Bransby.

Speaking to a group of about 65 Tennessee Valley area cattlemen, Bransby noted that AU Triumph was bred for early growth. This characteristic gives it an initial advantage over other fungus-free varieties. Ongoing research at the Tennessee Valley Substation indicates that the new forage grass maintains the advantage throughout the season and in subsequent growing seasons.

The cattlemen, who were attending a Beef and Forage Field Day at the Tennessee Valley Substation in Belle Mina, were shown the test area for fungus-free varieties. At stocking rates of one and two steers per acre, there was little visual difference among AU Triumph, fungus-free Kentucky 31, and Forager varieties. However, when the stocking rate was upped to two and one-half animals per acre, or five per two-acre pasture, Forager and Kentucky 31 were "grazed down to the deck," while AU Triumph maintained ample forage.

In tests last year, Bransby pointed out that the top yield of animal gain per acre came from AU Triumph at the 2.5 animals per acre stocking rate. Last year's top gain was 500 pounds per acre. This year, in only 98 days of grazing, AU Triumph is still the top producer, but at current growth levels, animal gain per acre on these pastures could exceed 600 pounds per acre, according to the Auburn researcher.

In a test at the Substation to determine the effects of hay supplements on steers grazing rye/ryegrass pastures, Bransby noted that leaving hay in the pasture year around produced both the best daily gain per animal and total gain per acre. This treatment was compared to taking steers off pasture in the winter and finishing in a feedlot and leaving steers on pasture, but providing hay only in the winter.

At stocking rates of two steers per acre, leaving cattle and hay in the pasture year around produced 437 pounds of gain in 179 days. Providing hay only in the winter produced 408 pounds per acre and taking steers off pasture and feeding hay produced 404 pounds per acre. Bransby noted that at other locations in the state, where climatic and soil conditions aren't as ideal as at the Tennessee Valley Substation, the amount of gain among the three treatments was much greater, and favored leaving hay on the pasture year around.

Dan Snyder, a parasitologist at the U.S.D.A. Animal Parasitology Lab in Auburn, noted that his research at the Substation should dispel some myths about the effects of internal parasites in cattle. He stressed that cattle with high levels of worms don't eat as much as noninfected animals and infected animals usually don't look any different than noninfected animals. What high levels of internal parasites, primarily worms, do cause is depressed feed intake, reduced digestibility and reduced metabolic rate--all of which result in reduced production.

Snyder showed the cattlemen results of a study conducted at the Tennessee Valley Substation in which all cattle were treated prior to grazing, then one group was given medicated supplement blocks three and six weeks after grazing. The nontreated cattle averaged 1.39 pounds of gain per day grazing infected Kentucky 31 tall fescue. For 28 days after treatment, the treated cattle, grazing the same type pasture, produced 2.50 pounds of gain per day.

The Field Day was co-sponsored by the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station and the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service. Hosts for the meeting were W.B. Webster, superintendent of the Tennessee Valley Substation; Ellis Burgess, associate superintendent; and Chet Norris, assistant superintendent.

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By:
Roy Roberson