scholarly journals The Influence of Age and Winter Environment on Protein Block Intake Behavior of Beef Cattle Winter Grazing Mixed-Grass Rangelands

Ruminants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-201
Author(s):  
Samuel A. Wyffels ◽  
Cory T. Parsons ◽  
Julia M. Dafoe ◽  
Darrin L. Boss ◽  
Boone H. Carter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Free Choice ◽  
Intake Rate ◽  
Nutrient Delivery ◽  
Mixed Grass ◽  
Winter Grazing ◽  
Grazing Period ◽  
Mixed Age ◽  
Protein Block ◽  
Supplement Intake

This study evaluated the influence of cow age and temperature adjusted for windchill (Twindchill) on supplement intake behavior of cattle winter grazing rangelands. A mixed-age herd of Angus-based cows (291 and 316 in year 1 and 2, respectively) were classified by age (1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, 5–7-, and ≥8-year-old) and grazed rangeland pasture (329-ha) for two consecutive winters. Cows were provided free-choice access to supplement protein blocks in a SmartFeedPro self-feeder system. An Onset HOBO Weather Station collected data throughout the grazing period. Supplement intake (expressed as kg∙d−1 and g∙kg body weight−1), the coefficient of variation in supplement intake and intake rate (g∙min−1) displayed Twindchill × cow age × year interactions (p ≤ 0.02). In general, cow age displayed a quadratic effect on all supplement intake variables (p ≤ 0.04), where 3- to 4-year-old cattle had the greatest supplement intake with the least variation, while yearling cattle had the least amount of supplement intake and the greatest variation. In conclusion, winter environmental conditions interacted with cow age to affect cattle supplement intake behavior and, consequently, the efficacy of nutrient delivery systems for beef cattle winter grazing on rangelands.

scholarly journals 286 The influence of age and winter environment on Rumax Bovibox and Bovibox HM supplement intake behavior of winter grazing beef cattle on mixed-grass rangelands

2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (Supplement_4) ◽  
pp. 210-211
Author(s):  
Samuel Wyffels ◽  
Cory T Parsons ◽  
Julia M Dafoe ◽  
Darrin L Boss ◽  
Tyrell McClain ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Daily Intake ◽  
Nutrient Delivery ◽  
Quadratic Effect ◽  
Mixed Grass Prairie ◽  
Mixed Grass ◽  
Winter Grazing ◽  
Quadratic Effects ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Supplement Intake

Abstract This study evaluated the influence of cow age and temperature adjusted for windchill (Twindchill) on supplement intake behavior of cattle winter grazing northern mixed-grass prairie rangelands. A commercial herd of 291 (yr-1) and 316 (yr-2) bred cows were winter grazed on a 329-ha rangeland pasture for 2 years. Cows were assigned to one of six age classifications and were provided free-choice access to Rumax Bovibox HM (2018–2019) and Rumax Bovibox (2019–2020) protein blocks. The target daily intake range was 0.45–0.91 kg∙cow-1∙d-1. Supplement was provided in a SmartFeedPro self-feeder system to measure individual animal supplement intake and behavior. Average daily supplement intake (expressed as kg∙cow-1∙d-1) and variation in supplement intake displayed Twindchill × cow age × yr interactions (P ≤ 0.05). There was no effect of age on daily supplement intake at below average and above average Twindchill in yr 1 (P ≥ 0.07). Age displayed a quadratic effect on daily supplement intake at average Twindchill in yr-1 (P < 0.01) but was limited to 3- and 4-yr-old cattle consuming more supplement per day than yearlings (P ≤ 0.02). During yr-2, cow age had a quadratic effect on supplement intake for all Twindchill conditions (P < 0.01) where 3-yr-old cattle consumed more supplement per day than yearlings, 5–7- and ≥ 8-yr-olds (P ≤ 0.01). Cow age exhibited quadratic effects on variation in supplement intake across all Twindchill conditions during both years (P < 0.01). However, the quadratic effects of age in yr-1 were limited to yearlings having higher variation in supplement intake than all other ages (P < 0.01). In summary, both cow age and the winter environmental conditions interacted to influence animal supplement intake behavior and, as a result, nutrient delivery efficacy in winter grazing beef cattle.

scholarly journals 282 The Influence of RFI classification and cow age on body weight and body condition change, supplement intake and grazing behavior of beef cattle winter grazing mixed-grass rangelands

2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (Supplement_4) ◽  
pp. 208-208
Author(s):  
Cory T Parsons ◽  
Julia M Dafoe ◽  
Samuel Wyffels ◽  
Megan Van Emon ◽  
Timothy DelCurto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Intake Rate ◽  
Grazing Behavior ◽  
Gps Collars ◽  
Winter Grazing ◽  
Grazing Period ◽  
Supplement Intake

Abstract behavior of beef cattle winter grazing rangelands in North Central Montana. A herd of non-lactating commercial Angus cows, n = 205 (yr-1) and n = 203 (yr-2), ranging in age from 1 to 9 yr old, grazed rangeland pastures (586 ha) from mid-October to early January of 2018 and 2019. Cows were grouped into 6 age classes to evaluate the effects of RFI and age on average daily individual supplement intake, CV of supplement intake, and intake rate, as well as changes in body weight and body condition during an 84-day grazing period each year. Additionally, 30 cows were stratified by age and RFI and fitted with Lotek GPS collars each year to record distance traveled and time spent grazing. Change in cow weight differed by year where cows in yr-1 gained 26.3 ± 1.96 kg while cows in yr-2 lost 19.2 ± 1.96 kg during the 84-day grazing period (P < 0.01). Change in BCS exhibited an age × RFI interaction (P = 0.05); however, an analysis within age groups did not result in differences between RFI classifications (P ≥ 0.27). There was an interaction between RFI, age and year related to supplement intake expressed as g∙kg cow bw-1∙d-1 where in year 2, 4-yr-old high RFI cattle consumed less supplement than 4-yr-old low and average RFI cattle (P < 0.01). Supplement intake rate expressed as g∙min-1 also differed by year (P < 0.01), with cows in yr-1 consuming less supplement per minute than in yr-2 (29.9 ± 1.81 and 91.8 ± 1.87). There were no effects of RFI, cow age or year on time spent grazing (P ≥ 0.19) with cows averaging 6.1 ± 0.61 hrs per day grazing. In summary, cow age had an influence on supplement intake, change in weight and body condition, and grazing behavior, while RFI classification had minimal effects.

scholarly journals The influence of age and environmental conditions on supplement intake and behavior of winter grazing beef cattle on mixed-grass rangelands1

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (suppl_1) ◽  
pp. S89-S92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel A Wyffels ◽  
Alyson R Williams ◽  
Cory T Parsons ◽  
Julia M Dafoe ◽  
Darrin L Boss ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Mixed Grass ◽  
Winter Grazing ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Supplement Intake

scholarly journals 285 Supplement intake variation, weight, and body condition change in yearling heifers grazing late-summer dryland pastures with Rumax BoviBox versus Rumax BoviBox HM protein supplements

2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (Supplement_4) ◽  
pp. 209-210
Author(s):  
Tyrell McClain ◽  
Samuel Wyffels ◽  
Shay Larsen ◽  
Luka Müller ◽  
Noah G Davis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
Free Choice ◽  
Body Condition Score ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Intake Rate ◽  
Protein Supplements ◽  
Period 2 ◽  
Condition Score ◽  
Protein Block ◽  
Supplement Intake

Abstract The objectives of this study were to evaluate Rumax BoviBox versus Rumax BoviBox HM protein supplements on supplement intake behavior, body weight (BW), and body condition score (BCS) change of yearling heifers grazing dryland pastures during late summer. Fifty-nine yearling commercial Angus heifers (428 kg) were stratified by BW and randomly assigned to one of two supplementation treatments: 1) free-choice access to Rumax BoviBox protein block supplement (30% CP, 23% salt; n = 29); and 2) free-choice access to Rumax BoviBox HM high magnesium protein block supplement (28.7% CP, 23% salt; n = 30). Individual supplement intake, time spent at the feeder, and intake variation were measured throughout the study. On d 0, 42, and 84 heifers were weighed and assigned a BCS following a 16-h shrink. Additionally, forage was sampled every 14 d throughout the study. Supplement intake (kg ∙ d-1) displayed a treatment × period interaction (P < 0.01). However, within period, treatment differences were not observed with intakes averaging 0.15 and 0.34 kg ∙ day-1 for d 0 – 42 and 42 - 84, respectively. Heifers spent more time at the feeder in period 2 than in period 1 (P < 0.01), averaging 7.67 vs 4.00 min per day, respectively. Supplement intake rate (g ∙ min-1) also displayed a treatment effect (P < 0.01) indicating that heifers in the Rumax BoviBox treatment had lower intake rate compared to Rumax BoviBox HM supplemented heifers. In conclusion, there were only minor differences in intake behavior and animal performance with the Rumax BoviBox and Rumax BoviBox HM supplement treatments. However, supplement intake increased and variation in intake decreased with declining forage quality and quantity.

scholarly journals The influence of age and winter environment on Rumax Bovibox and Bovibox HM supplement intake behavior of winter grazing beef cattle on mixed-grass rangelands

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S37-S42
Author(s):  
Samuel A Wyffels ◽  
Cory T Parsons ◽  
Julia M Dafoe ◽  
Darrin L Boss ◽  
Tyrell P McClain ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Mixed Grass ◽  
Winter Grazing ◽  
Supplement Intake

scholarly journals The influence of age and environmental conditions on supplement intake by beef cattle winter grazing northern mixed-grass rangelands

2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel A Wyffels ◽  
Julia M Dafoe ◽  
Cory T Parsons ◽  
Darrin L Boss ◽  
Timothy DelCurto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Daily Intake ◽  
Weather Data ◽  
Canola Meal ◽  
Linear Effect ◽  
Mixed Grass ◽  
Winter Grazing ◽  
Effect Of Age ◽  
Supplement Intake

Abstract This study evaluated the influence of cow age and temperature adjusted for wind chill (Twindchill) on supplement intake behavior of beef cattle winter grazing northern mixed grass prairie rangelands. A commercial herd of 272 (year 1) and 302 (year 2) bred cows (Angus, Simmental × Angus) ranging in age from 1- to 12-yr-old grazed a 329-ha rangeland pasture (~1.5 ha animal unit monthˉ 1) from November to January. Cows were grouped into seven age classes (1 yr old, 2 yr old, 3 yr old, 4 yr old, 5 yr old, 6 yr old, and ≥ 7 yr old) and were provided free-choice access to a 30% CP self-fed canola meal-based pelleted supplement with 25% salt to limit intake. The target daily intake was 0.91 kg cowˉ 1 dˉ 1. Supplement was provided in a SmartFeed Pro self-feeder system to measure individual animal supplement intake and behavior. An Onset HOBO U30-NRC Weather Station was placed near the supplement feeders to collect weather data for the entirety of the grazing period. Average daily supplement intake and the coefficient variation in supplement intake displayed a Twindchill × cow age × year interaction (P ≤ 0.02). There was a negative linear effect of age on supplement intake (kg cowˉ 1 dˉ 1) for days with below average Twindchill conditions in both years (P < 0.01). There was also negative linear effect of age on supplement intake (g kg of BWˉ 1 dˉ 1) at average Twindchill in year 1 and below average Twindchill in year 2 (P < 0.01). Cow age had a quadratic effect on supplement intake for days with below average Twindchill in year 1 (P = 0.02); however, this was a curvilinear response where yearlings and 2-yr-olds consumed more supplement per kilogram of BW than other age cattle (P < 0.01). Cow age had positive linear effects on variation in supplement intake at below average Twindchill conditions in both years (P < 0.01). Daily visits to the supplement feeders displayed a Twindchill × cow age interaction (P < 0.01), where there was a linear decrease in visits with increasing age at below average Twindchill conditions (P < 0.01). In summary, both cow age and the winter environmental conditions interacted to influence animal supplement intake behavior and, as a result, nutrient delivery efficacy in winter grazing beef cattle.

scholarly journals The influence of RFI classification and cow age on body weight and body condition change, supplement intake, and grazing behavior of beef cattle winter grazing mixed-grass rangelands

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S68-S73
Author(s):  
Cory T Parsons ◽  
Julia M Dafoe ◽  
Samuel A Wyffels ◽  
Megan Van Emon ◽  
Timothy DelCurto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Grazing Behavior ◽  
Condition Change ◽  
Mixed Grass ◽  
Winter Grazing ◽  
Supplement Intake

scholarly journals The Influence of Residual Feed Intake and Cow Age on Beef Cattle Performance, Supplement Intake, Resource Use, and Grazing Behavior on Winter Mixed-Grass Rangelands

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1518
Author(s):  
Cory T. Parsons ◽  
Julia M. Dafoe ◽  
Samuel A. Wyffels ◽  
Timothy DelCurto ◽  
Darrin L. Boss
Keyword(s):  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Resource Utilization ◽  
Resource Use ◽  
Site Selection ◽  
Linear Increase ◽  
Grazing Behavior ◽  
Quadratic Effect ◽  
Mixed Grass ◽  
Supplement Intake ◽  
Cattle Performance

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the influence of RFI and cow age on the supplement intake and grazing behavior of beef cattle. Average daily supplement intake (kg/cow/d) displayed an RFI × cow age interaction (p < 0.01), with a linear increase in average daily supplement intake with increasing RFI of 3-year-old cows (p < 0.01). Average daily supplement intake (g ∙ kg BW−1 ∙ d−1) displayed an RFI × cow age interaction (p < 0.01), with a quadratic effect on supplement intake of 3-year-old cows (p = 0.01). Cow age displayed a quadratic effect on variation of supplement intake (p < 0.01), where 1-year-old cows had a greater CV of supplement intake than all other cow ages (p < 0.01). Distance traveled displayed a cow age × RFI interaction (p = 0.02), where high-RFI 5-year-old cows traveled further per day than low 5-year-old RFI cows. The probability of grazing site selection was influenced by cow age (p ≤ 0.03). In summary, heifer post-weaning RFI had minimal effects on beef cattle performance, grazing behavior, or resource utilization; however, cow age impacted both grazing behavior and resource use.

Measuring individual free-choice protein supplement consumption by wintering beef cattle

2003 ◽  
Vol 83 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. C. Garossino ◽  
B. J. Ralston ◽  
T. A. McAllister ◽  
M. E. Olson
Keyword(s):  
Dry Matter ◽  
Free Choice ◽  
Daily Intake ◽  
Chemotherapeutic Agents ◽  
Intake Rate ◽  
Digit Number ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Supplement Intake

Free-choice supplements provide protein, trace minerals, vitamins, salt and chemotherapeutic agents to cattle. For optimal benefit, a supplement should be consumed on a regular basis and at levels that do not vary significantly on a day-to-day basis. Many factors affect variability in supplement intake such as palatability of the supplement, competition between animals and the ease with which the supplement may be consumed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the differences between a solid molasses-block supplement and a liquid-molasses supplement with respect to intake and the associated behaviors (attendance, duration, and intake rate). Using a cross-over design, 34 pregnant cows weighing 720 ± 11kg were randomly allocated to two separate groups (n = 17 for each group) and evaluated for two 3-wk periods (24 February to 16 March 1999 and 25 March to 14 April 1999), using both forms of the supplement. The individual intake was recorded by way of an electronic feeding system, which made use of an electromagnetic field around the feeder in conjunction with electronic identification (EID) tags, which registered each animal’s unique eight-digit number. Cows fed the liquid supplement visited the feeder more often (P < 0.05) when compared to those fed the block supplement. The mean dry matter intake did not differ between the supplements (349 g head-1 for the block and 330 g head-1 for the liquid), but there were significantly larger deviations in intake for the block supplement than the liquid (P < 0.05) indicating more uniformity in daily intake with the liquid supplement. In almost all cases the liquid supplement was consumed at a faster rate (P < 0.05) and significantly less time (P < 0.05) was spent at the feeder. Free-choice administration of additives in liquid supplements, as compared to blocks, may result in a more frequent and less variable intake. Key words: Protein, intake, supplement, cattle, behavior

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