Evaluating grazing strategies for cattle: Nutrition of cattle and deer
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Authors: I. M. Ortega, S. Soltero-Gardea, D. L. Drawe, and F. C. Bryant
Date: 1997
Journal: Journal of Range Management
Volume: 50
Number: 6
Pages: 631-637
Summary of Methods: The effects of grazing strategies and stocking rates on the nutrition of cattle and white-tailed deer were studied at the Rob and Bessie Welder Wildlife Refuge in southern Texas (28° 6’ N; 97° 25’ W) for two years. Four treatments of continuous and short-duration grazing strategies and two stocking rates (heavy and moderate) were studied. Over 22 months, cattle diet samples were collected for 2 days per month. Deer diet composition was estimated through bite count observations made once per month and forage samples were collected. Nutritional analysis of both cattle and deer samples were compared.
Article Summary / Main Points: Continuous, heavy grazing resulted in the highest forage quality for both cattle and deer. While both cattle and deer nutritional needs for maintenance levels were met using a continuous, heavy grazing system; their nutritional levels for growth and gestation suffered.
Vegetation Types: Desert Grasslands
MLRA Ecoregions: 150A Gulf Coast Prairies
Agrovoc Control Words: Grazing Rangelands Ungulates
Article Review Type: Refereed
Article Type: Experimental Research
Keywords: crude protein, ivdom, digestibility, coastal bend of texas, short-duration grazing, continuous grazing, odocoileus virginianus
Annotation: This replicated study conducted over two years and the accompanying results apply specifically to desert grasslands. The underlying principles are applicable to more ecosystems. These results apply to regions of similar topography, climate, and ungulate-plant relationships. This is one portion of a much larger study where Ortega et al. (1997, J. Range Manag. 50:622-630) examined forage partitioning of cattle and white-tailed deer and Ortega et al. (1997, J. Range Manag. 50:615-621) studied the foraging dynamics of cattle and white-tailed deer. Both of these are also available in the RSIS database.
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