Evaluation of Warm-Season Annual Baleage in a Cow/Calf Production System

• Published in: Journal of animal science 2018-03, Vol.96, p.34-34
• Main Authors: Hargaden, M S, Mullenix, M K, Prevatt, C G, Peacock, R W, Moisa, S, Muntifering, R B
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal lactation; Calves; Cattle; Cow's milk; Data processing; Feeders; Feeding; Feeds; Hay; Lactation; Milk; Milk production; Millet; Pasture; Sorghum; Winter
• ISSN: 0021-8812; 1525-3163

A 52-d feeding trial was conducted to evaluate animal performance from pearl millet (PM) and sorghum x sudangrass (SS) baleage compared with bermudagrass hay (B) when fed to cow/calf pairs in a free choice winter feeding system. Also, cone- (C) and ring- (R) type hay feeders were evaluated for minimizing forage wastage. The 6 forage feeder treatments were randomly assigned to twelve 2-ha pastures (2 pasture reps/treatment), each populated with 3 cow/calf pairs. Forage quality parameters, initial and final cow full BW and BCS, initial (50.2 ± 1.6) and final calf BW, and cow milk production on d 45 and 70 of lactation were measured. Data were analyzed using PROC MIXED (SAS 9.4) for a completely randomized design with repeated measures in which pasture was the experimental unit; treatment means were separated using the PDIFF option of SAS. Forage ash concentration and percentage IVTD were greater (P < 0.10) for PM and SS than B, whereas CP, NDF, ADF, and ADL concentrations were less (P < 0.10) for PM and SS than B. There were no forage feeder interactions (P > 0.10) or differences between C and R feeder for forage waste; however, the percentage of waste from PM and SS was greater (P < 0.10) than that of B. There were no forage feeder interactions (P > 0.10) for cow initial BW (613 ± 5.38), final BW (541 ± 5.47), initial BCS (6.06 ± 0.08), or final BCS (5.46 ± 0.05), and no differences (P > 0.10) in cow BW or BCS loss among forage treatments or between feeders. Also, there were no forage feeder interactions (P > 0.10) or differences among forages or between feeders for milk production. Calves in the R feeder treatment weighed 6.13 kg more (P < 0.10) than calves in the C feeder treatment at the conclusion of the study. Cost/ton of DM was 16 and 24% greater for baleage compared with B hay. Based on animal performance measures, results suggest that it was not economically feasible to harvest and conserve summer annuals as baleage compared with B hay for maintaining lactating beef cows during the late fall-early winter feeding period. Results also indicate that feeding forage from a C feeder offered no advantage over a conventional R feeder.